Resolutions
by Andra Marie Mueller
Summary: Jordan Kent returns to Bruce Wayne, but will he be able to discover who is trying to kill her before they succeed? Sequel to Reunion under Superman.
1. Chapter 1

"**Resolutions"**

**By**

**Andra Marie Mueller**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** "Resolutions" is very much an alternative universe story. While I have attempted to follow canon wherever possible, the nature of the story dictated that I take certain creative liberties with character and plot histories that have been established in comics for "Batman" .For my purposes I am dealing only with the films.

This is the continuing story of Bruce Wayne and Jordan Kent, sister of Metropolis reporter Clark Kent aka Superman, as begun in "Reunion", my sequel to "Superman Returns". This story picks up approximately eight weeks after the conclusion of "Reunion", which you will need to read (or have read) to follow this story. Many thanks to the readers who sent feedback on the first story and were so receptive of Jordan. A special thanks and big hug to my original Beta Reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, but she knows who she is. Thanks also to Shea for helping me fine tune the story.

All things Batman (and Superman) are the legal property of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Special thanks to Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale and everyone associated with "Batman Begins" for reinventing a legend with such style and finesse.

"_Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again. And great happiness in life is the conviction we are loved. Loved for ourselves. And even loved in spite of ourselves."_ – Victor Hugo

**PROLOGUE: HARDIN, MONTANA**

Stepping onto her front porch, Martha Kent Harper inhaled a deep breath of fresh air as Shelby bolted past her in pursuit of a squirrel.

"Shelby, you leave that squirrel alone!" Martha admonished.

The command fell on deaf ears and Martha released a resigned sigh as she headed down the dirt path leading to the mailbox. Along with her husband of six weeks, Ben Harper, Martha had moved to Montana almost two months ago. The farm that had served as her home for over 30 years in Smallville had been sold and converted into an animal sanctuary, but the memories associated with her life there would stay with Martha always. As she reached the end of the drive, a breathless Shelby appeared at her side and sat down as she pulled out the contents of the mailbox. As she shuffled through the envelopes, she glanced down at the dog.

"You'd better stop trying to get those squirrels, Shelby," she scolded. "You're going to wind up chasing one into the bushes and finding yourself nose to nose with a bear."

The sound of an approaching car caused her to glance up, and she broke into a delighted grin as Jason, Lois and Clark pulled into the driveway.

"Ben, they're here!" she shouted at the house and quickly made her way over to greet her visitors.

"Hi, Mom," Clark greeted after exiting the car.

"Hello, sweetheart," Martha returned, and embraced him a fierce hug. "It's so good to see you back on your feet. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

Martha shifted her attention to Lois. "Hello, Lois," she greeted warmly. "It's wonderful to finally meet you."

"Likewise, Mrs. Harper," Lois returned.

"Oh, none of that," the older woman admonished. "You are to call me Martha."

"All right, Martha."

Martha gave her a hug as Lois exchanged a smile with Clark.

"I'm Jason," he announced from beside his mother. "Are you my Poppy's mommy?"

Martha knelt down to Jason's eye level. "I sure am, sweetie, which makes me your grandma," she told him.

Jason nodded. "Poppy says you make good cookies," he said.

Martha chuckled. "Is that so? Well I'll just have to make you some and you can decide for yourself."

"Okay," Jason agreed and spotting Shelby, his eyes widened. "Is that your dog?"

"Yes. His name is Shelby."

Jason cautiously walked over to where Shelby sat and the dog immediately began a full body wag as he approached.

"Hi Shelby," Jason said softly, and gave him a tentative pat on the head. He was promptly rewarded by an ecstatic bout of face licking from Shelby, and Jason burst out laughing.

"Looks like Jason has a new friend," Clark observed.

Ben joined them then, and he and Clark exchanged a handshake before Martha introduced him to Lois and Jason. As the men retrieved the luggage from the car, Martha posed a question to her son.

"Clark, you haven't heard from Jordan by any chance, have you?"

He shook his head. "I haven't heard a word since she went back to Kenya."

Martha sighed. "I just don't like the thought of her burying herself in her work to nurse her broken heart," she replied.

"If it's any consolation, Mom, I think her heart is more bruised than broken," Clark responded. "But you know Jordan. Sooner or later she'll get tired of her pity party and she'll come home to resolve her issues with Bruce."

"Well if she does I hope your friend knows what he's getting into," Martha remarked. "God love her, but your sister can be a bit much to deal with."

"Really?" Clark prompted innocently. "I never noticed."

"You be nice young man, or you won't get any apple pie for dessert."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Lois shot him an amused glance as the group headed into the house.

**GOTHAM CITY**

Trying not to look as bored as he felt, Bruce Wayne casually scanned the room as he pretended to sip at his champagne. He was at a party being given in the ballroom of his hotel, a charity ball to benefit PEACE, the international non-profit animal conservation organization Protecting Endangered Animals through Conservation and Education. The hundred or so people in attendance included his friends and business colleagues, as well as several celebrities and prominent politicians. Noticeably absent, however, was the one person Bruce wanted to see.

Doctor Jordan Kent was the senior ecologist for PEACE as well as a member of their Board of Directors. She was also the adopted sister of his good friend Clark Kent, and during a passionate, tumultuous affair just over two months ago, Bruce had fallen deeply in love with her. But after accidentally overhearing a late night conversation that revealed Bruce was Batman before he was able to share the secret himself, an angry and wounded Jordan had fled from his life. Now, as the days turned to weeks, he was beginning to fear that he would never see her again.

_I was so certain that time and distance would bring her back to me,_ he mused painfully, _but maybe my secret on top of her brother's was too great a burden._

His melancholy train of thought was interrupted by the arrival of one of the servers, who slightly inclined his head in a formal greeting as he addressed him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Wayne, but I was asked to give this to you," he said, and handed Bruce a small manila envelope.

"Thank you," Bruce responded automatically, and set his glass on a nearby table before opening the envelope. Inside, he discovered a small handwritten note that read simply "Add hot water for instant brains" attached to an individual packet of oatmeal, and hope flared anew as he instantly realized who had sent it.

"It's not a white flag but the sentiment's the same," an achingly familiar voice replied.

Bruce turned at the sound of the voice and discovered Jordan standing only a couple of feet away, looking stunning in a fitted sleeveless white silk gown that fell to just above her ankles. Surprise and joy flickered across his handsome face as he took a moment to absorb that she was really there.

_I didn't realize until this moment how much I missed her_, he thought to himself. Aloud he replied formally, "Good evening, Dr. Kent."

Jordan smiled. "I think we can dispense with the formalities, Bruce," she chided. "It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," Bruce admitted. "How long have you been back in the States?"

"Actually I came straight here from the airport," Jordan told him. "I needed to change from my traveling clothes into something more appropriate for a black tie affair."

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you." _I missed you_, she added silently.

Lost in each other, the couple did not notice that they were being observed by a growing number of the other guests, especially the press. More than a little curious about the exceptionally beautiful blonde who was obviously previously acquainted with the infamous Bruce Wayne, they drew closer in an attempt to overhear their conversation.

"I see you got your cast off," Bruce said, gesturing at her left arm.

"I had the cast and the pins removed during a two day layover in London," Jordan answered. "It was getting rather tedious explaining to customs why my arm was setting off the metal detectors."

"I wasn't aware that you would be here for the party."

"I'm not here for the party, Bruce," Jordan countered softly, and took the few steps necessary to close the distance between them as she held his gaze. "If you'll still have me, I'm here for you."

"_Jordan_…"

"I am so sor…"

Her apology was aborted in mid-sentence, as Bruce pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth in a blazing kiss. Temporarily oblivious to their audience, Jordan returned the kiss with equal ardor as the paparazzi went berserk taking photographs. As the kiss continued, the people gathered round began to laugh and applaud, and it was the noise of the latter that eventually prompted Bruce to end their kiss.

"I love you," Jordan declared for his ears only, a pair of tears trickling down her cheeks. "I should have told you eight weeks ago."

"You'd better mean that, Princess," Bruce responded in a fierce whisper. "Because I love you too, and I'm never letting you go again!"

The declaration earned him another kiss, this one more subdued, and they exchanged a chuckle as they broke apart the second time. Wayne Enterprises' CEO Lucius Fox was standing a few feet behind Bruce, and took the initiative to dismiss the onlookers.

"All right everyone," Fox declared. "The show's over."

The hint taken, the party goers returned to their mingling and the paparazzi snapped off a couple more photographs before fading back into the crowd. Once they were gone, Fox approached Jordan and Bruce.

"You certainly know how to make an entrance, Dr. Kent," he teased. "Welcome back to Gotham City."

"Thank you, Mr. Fox," Jordan responded, and gave Bruce a pointed look. "It's good to be back."

During her first stay in Gotham, Bruce had introduced Fox and Jordan while he was giving her a tour of Wayne Enterprises, and the two had hit it off immediately.

"Everything going well with your research in East Africa?" Fox asked.

"Yes, thank you. I've actually turned the Samburu project over to one of my colleagues and am treating myself to a few weeks off before I decide on my next assignment."

_More than enough time to convince her to stay for good_, Bruce thought to himself.

"Well I'm sure I'll see you again while you're here," Fox replied. "Perhaps the three of us could have lunch. I'd be very interested to pick your brain about some plans the Board is tossing about for a conservation department at Wayne Enterprises."

"I would be happy to help."

"I'll look forward to it then," Fox demurred, and turned to Bruce. "Mr. Wayne, if you don't have any further need of my services, I think I'll call it a night."

"Running away so soon, Lucius?" Bruce taunted. "I thought you were going to protect me from all of the parasites masquerading as the press."

"With all due respect sir, it's my understanding that the lovely lady at your side is a much more formidable opponent than I," Fox demurred. "Enjoy your evening."

The older man disappeared in the throng of people and as they watched him go, Jordan said, "I like him. He's what my mother refers to as 'quality people'."

"I think he likes you too," Bruce replied. "I know I do."

"Well I should hope so after the public spectacle we just made of ourselves," Jordan responded dryly. "That's not quite what I had in mind when I showed up here tonight."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, Jordan, but unfortunately it's something you'll have to get used to if you truly intend for us to be together," Bruce cautioned.

"I know. I was just hoping we'd have some time to resolve a few things before we subjected our relationship to public dissemination."

"Do you want to leave?" Bruce offered. "We can go somewhere private to talk."

Jordan shook her head. "Not tonight. Obviously we do need to talk, but not here and now. Let's just enjoy the party and we'll deal with everything else tomorrow."

"Works for me," Bruce agreed, and extended his arm. "Shall we mingle?"

"Works for me," Jordan echoed.

Linking her arm through his, Jordan allowed Bruce to lead her into the crowd.


	2. Chapter 2

**WAYNE MANOR**

After enduring the endless questions and good-natured jibes about their amorous reunion and obvious personal history, Jordan and Bruce had finally managed to spend a few minutes alone, during which Bruce had convinced her to come home with him. She had hesitated at first, reluctant to completely put herself back in his life with so much left between them.

"I don't know that my staying at your house is such a good idea, Bruce," she had said. "Other than finally confessing that we love each other, there's still so much we have to resolve."

"Where better to resolve it than in the privacy of my mausoleum?" Bruce responded lightly, earning him a faint smile.

"I retract my previous remark," Jordan said. "You actually have a very beautiful home. It was just a bit overwhelming for 'a pretty little farm girl from Kansas'."

"I apologize if I offended you when I said that," Bruce replied.

"Thank you, but you didn't."

"I'm not trying to pressure you, Jordan, and I am well aware of the remaining issues between us. But frankly I'm more concerned that you're still a target and it will be easier for me to keep you safe if you're under my roof."

"Knowing what I do now I have to agree," Jordan relented. "I don't suppose you're still willing to give me my own room?"

"No."

Jordan gave him a sheepish smile. "At this point it would be like closing the barn door after the cow's run out," she allowed.

Bruce was clearly amused by the analogy. "If it will put your mind at ease, I am willing to compromise. Until we have resolved our issues to our mutual satisfaction and you are comfortable with resuming an intimate relationship, I give you my word that we will do nothing more than sleep in my bed. Literally."

Jordan had eventually agreed and with some assistance from the hotel staff, had transferred her things from her hotel room to Wayne Manor. After spending the rest of the night with a jetlagged Jordan sleeping peacefully in his arms, Bruce had risen just after dawn. He allowed himself a few moments to watch her sleep, then headed downstairs for a work out and shower before returning to check on Jordan. She has just finished showering when he entered his bedroom and was sitting on the edge of his bed wearing one of his robes as she dried her hair with a towel.

"Good morning, Handsome," she greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning yourself, Princess," Bruce echoed, and crossed over to give her a warm kiss. "Sleep well?"

"Very. I take it from your casual attire that you don't have to go to the office today."

"Rank has its privileges and I gave myself the day off."

Jordan nodded. "Well, in that case, I'll join you downstairs in a few minutes for breakfast and afterwards we can get started on resolving our issues," she said.

"I'll see you in a few minutes."

Bruce left her to get dressed and headed downstairs, retrieving the newspaper before walking to the dining room. Alfred was all ready there when he arrived, and as Bruce settled himself at the table, the older man poured him a cup of fresh coffee.

"Good morning, Master Bruce," he greeted.

"Good morning," Bruce responded in kind. "Better bring out another place setting, Alfred. I have a guest joining us for breakfast."

"I see," Alfred responded carefully. "That would be the reason for your late night then?"

"Um-hm," Bruce answered noncommittally.

Alfred wordlessly retrieved another place setting from within the kitchen, and behind the paper Bruce hid a smile at the obvious disapproval in his friend's posture.

_He thinks I've brought home a one night stand,_ he mused. _This is going to be good_.

"Do you know if your…guest…would care for a cup of coffee, sir?" Alfred inquired.

"Actually, Alfred, I believe the lady prefers tea."

"Of course, sir."

Alfred disappeared into the kitchen just as Jordan entered he dining room and settled next to Bruce, dressed in jeans and an oversized Princeton alumni sweatshirt.

"Showing off this morning, Dr. Kent?" he teased, and gestured at her sweatshirt.

"Just another strike against the dumb blonde stereotype, Mister Wayne," Jordan pointed out.

"Touché'."

"Where's Alfred?" Jordan asked.

"Oh, he's getting some tea for my 'guest'," Bruce told her.

She shot him a knowing look. "Tell me you've haven't made him think you brought some floozy home," she said.

Bruce chuckled. "You have a doctorate from Princeton and the best you can do is 'floozy'?" he prompted.

"Just drink your coffee."

Alfred returned then, exiting the kitchen backward as he carried a tray with the hot water and tea accessories.

"I hope Earl Grey will be acceptable for your _guest_," he said, unable to hide a thin layer of disgust as he said the last word.

"Earl Grey is fine, Alfred," Jordan assured him.

Alfred's head jerked up at the sound of her voice. "Miss Jordan…"

"Hello, Alfred," she greeted with a warm smile. "It's good to see you again."

Alfred glanced at Bruce. "With all due respect, sir, you have a twisted sense of humor," he declared.

"You have to admit I had you going there for a few minutes, Alfred."

Alfred ignored him and returned his attention to Jordan. "It is a true delight to have you back with us, Miss Jordan," he declared as her poured her tea.

"Thank you, Alfred."

"Would you care for some breakfast?"

"Some fresh fruit and a couple slices of wheat toast would be lovely, thank you."

"Very good. Master Bruce?"

"I'll have the same, Alfred, along with a couple of poached eggs and some bacon."

Jordan not so discreetly cleared her throat at that, and Bruce smiled as he knowingly amended his order. "Perhaps I'll pass on the bacon."

"Thank you," Jordan said.

"Very good, sir," Alfred responded and headed back into the kitchen, muttering to himself as he did so. "A guest for breakfast indeed…"

Jordan and Bruce exchanged an amused glance as a picture on Bruce's paper caught her attention. "Please tell me that's not us," she said.

Bruce followed her gaze and spotted a picture near the bottom of the front page. It was one of the many taken during their first kiss last night, and was accompanied by the caption 'Who is Bruce Wayne's New Flavor of the Month?'

"I'm afraid it is."

"'Flavor of the Month'? Who comes up with this stuff?"

"Certainly not someone with a Princeton degree," Bruce responded dryly.

Jordan tossed a sugar cube at him.


	3. Chapter 3

Following their breakfast, Jordan and Bruce headed outside and walked around his property in companionable silence for several minutes before Jordan spoke first.

"So….where do I begin?" she prompted.

"Wherever you'd like," Bruce responded easily, "although I am interested to hear why you panicked when you discovered that I'm Batman."

"What you call panic Clark would call a hissy fit," Jordan countered lightly. "I won't apologize for being angry, or hurt, that you kept it from me. But I do owe you an apology for not giving you a chance to explain and bolting out of here like a pig on fire."

_Pig on fire?_ Bruce thought to himself. _I suppose that's better than 'bat out of hell' under the circumstances._

"Considering who my brother is, one would think that I could have handled the truth," Jordan continued. "But then again, I think that may be part of the reason I reacted the way I did."

"I'm afraid you've lost me," Bruce said.

Jordan sighed. "Clark's disappearing act notwithstanding, I have always known that he would be here if and when I needed him. He's Superman, right? It's not like I have to worry about him being hit by a car or taken out by some robber's bullet. But I don't have that luxury with you. All it would take is one split second of distraction, one misstep, and Bruce Wayne is nothing but a memory."

"Anyone who shares their life with a partner in a high-risk profession deals with the same fears, Jordan. In many ways what I do as Batman is no different than being involved with a police officer."

"Police officers don't deliberately seek out dangerous situations, Bruce, you do. I've known policemen who go their entire careers without ever having to draw a gun. Yet every time you leave this house as Batman, it is because there is someone or something that poses a mortal threat to the people of Gotham City. That ups the ante considerably for whether or not you come back alive."

"This from the woman who has her own 'side job' as an agent for Interpol's Environmental Crimes Division," Bruce countered evenly.

Jordan's eyes widened in surprise. "You have been doing your homework," she remarked after a beat. "There are less than a dozen people on the planet who know about that. I've never even told Clark."

"I told you shortly after we met that information is a powerful tool, Jordan. I can't do what I do without being two steps ahead of everybody around me."

"Fair enough, but I know that you didn't turn up this particular tidbit during a routine background check."

"No. I was all ready conducting my own investigation of the explosion at the Convention Center in Metropolis, and after you were targeted specifically, I knew that there had to be a reason. Lucius went through some of our higher ranking connections and he discovered the information about your position with Interpol."

"Remind me to talk to him about those connections next time I get audited by the IRS," Jordan responded wryly. "I'm glad that you know, because that's part of the reason I came back. After I cooled down and took some time to think things through, I realized I was being a hypocrite by holding your secret against you when carrying one of my own. Granted I took an oath of confidentiality when I accepted the position with Interpol, but it's certainly not something I could have kept to myself and expected our relationship to survive."

"Secrets have a way of revealing themselves at the least opportune time," Bruce allowed.

"Which is why we have to agree here and now to never have any," Jordan added. "Love can't survive without trust, Bruce. If we're going to make this work – make us work – it has to be a completely open and equal partnership."

Bruce quirked one dark eyebrow upward. "Certainly you're not suggesting we work together?"

"Not literally, no. You certainly can't do what you need to do as Batman with your significant other trailing in your shadow and I don't see you traipsing through the jungles of the world trailing after poachers."

"But?" Bruce prompted.

"But there may be times when we can make use of the other's special qualifications to aid us in our quest to make the world a safer for place for all living things. And we have to be able to live with the consequences of what we do."

"Meaning?" Bruce prompted.

"Meaning that if you die tomorrow, I need to know that I can live the rest of my life without you," Jordan clarified. "Or if I'm targeted again by somebody like whoever tried to blow me up in Metropolis, you would be able to continue your work without seeking revenge."

"I would not let your death go unanswered, Jordan."

"I wouldn't expect you to, but I'm saying that I need to know that you wouldn't turn your skills as Batman into a force for vengeance."

"If someone were to take you away from me, I would do everything within my power to seek justice."

"Not revenge?"

"I'm certain that I would have to answer to your brother if I tried," Bruce evaded.

Jordan shook her head. "That's something, I suppose," she mumbled.

"Just how did you get hooked up with Interpol anyway? I can't imagine they set up recruiting centers at college campuses."

"Shortly after I received my doctorate I was in Brazil studying jaguars and caimans in the Pantanal," Jordan said. "My research group was doing some night work trying to radio collar one of the cats when we stumbled across a group of poachers. Along with the jaguar hides, they were selling young girls from one of the local villages as sex slaves."

She sat down on a nearby bench, her features twisted into a grimace as she recalled the prisoners.

"Naturally the poachers weren't happy about being discovered and we were attacked. We had two handguns between the half dozen researchers versus ten poachers with semi-automatic rifles and machetes. It was no contest."

"Yet here you are, although that does explain the bullet scars on your shoulder, and the larger one on your ribcage could have come from a machete."

Jordan shot him an amused smile. "You're very observant," she said pointedly.

"I enjoy the view, Princess."

Jordan flushed. "Actually the one on my ribcage is from the cat we were trying to collar," she corrected. "But yes, I was shot twice in the left shoulder, one of which missed my heart by only an inch." She paused then, unconsciously rubbing her shoulder in memory of the injury. "I pretended to be dead until they moved on and then I somehow dragged myself back to camp. I called the PEACE office in Rio de Janeiro on the satellite phone and the cavalry arrived in about four hours. The poachers were caught the next morning, and because of the 'exceptional way in which I handled a highly volatile situation' and my unique ability to be where the crimes were being committed because of my job, I was offered the position with Interpol. Technically I'm part of a specialized department called the Interpol Wildlife Working Group."

"Not exactly what you had in mind when you wanted to find a way to make a career from your love of animals," Bruce remarked. "But it does explain why somebody would want to kill you. Do you have any idea who it is?"

"Three months ago, I aided in the arrest of a group of poachers in Kenya that were smuggling weapons to Sudan in animal hides and giving them to the guerillas in Darfur. While I was investigating the source of the funding for the operation, I discovered that somebody within PEACE has been filtering funds form the charitable accounts and transferring them to outside accounts belonging to terrorist groups, including one here in the US called Animal Avengers."

"The people responsible for the explosion at the Convention Center and very likely your assault," Bruce recalled. "If they know that you know about the money laundering, it certainly gives them a motive for killing you. Any thoughts on who at PEACE is involved?"

"There are only half a dozen people with the security clearance necessary to access the accounts, including me. I've been waiting until I have more evidence to implicate one of them before I take what I know to my connections at Interpol."

"If you give me the other names, I'll start looking into it immediately."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"If you're worried about me, Princess, don't be. I assure you that I can find out what we need to know without jeopardizing myself or my company."

"I'm sure you can, but I don't want to risk more incidents like those in Metropolis if these people realize I'm snooping around again."

"You let me worry about that. As long as I know you are safely ensconced here, I will be much more efficient at keeping an eye on the rest of Gotham."

"I'm flattered you find me such a distraction, Mister Wayne," Jordan teased. "And what's with calling me 'Princess' all of a sudden?"

"With your looks and your attitude it seemed like a perfect fit," Bruce answered innocently.

Jordan shook her head as she returned to the original subject. "I truly am sorry I left the way I did eight weeks ago. I should have given you the chance to explain and told you my own secret without running away like a scared rabbit."

'And I am truly sorry that you had to find out about Batman third hand," Bruce returned. "So we're even now. No more apologies, no more secrets. Agreed?"

"Agreed. I love you."

"I love you too."

Bruce pulled Jordan into his arms and they exchanged a kiss just as a male voice replied, "Should I take another picture to match the one from this morning's paper?"

The couple turned to see Clark standing a few feet away, dressed in regular clothes but sans his glasses. Jordan flashed her brother an affectionate smile as she walked over to give him a hearty hug.

"Well look what the wind blew in," she said. "It's good to see you, Big Brother."

"Likewise Little Sister," Clark responded. "Hello, Bruce."

"Clark."

"What are you doing here?" Jordan asked.

"Lois is spending the day with her sister and Jason is with Richard for a couple of days, so after I saw your picture in the Gotham Herald this morning I decided to pay you a visit." He gave her a pointed look. "Is the photographer who took the photo still standing?"

"One little tantrum and suddenly I'm Public Enemy #1 for reporters and photographers everywhere," Jordan muttered.

"Obviously you two have worked things out," Clark remarked.

"Honesty works wonders, Clark," Jordan replied.

"Having experienced the benefits first hand I wholeheartedly agree," came his response. "As long as we're on the subject, how about you tell me why you're being targeted by eco-terrorists?"

Jordan and Bruce exchanged a look, knowing that Clark was not going to react well to his sister's secret.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it," Jordan replied. "My job as a wildlife researcher is partly a cover for my position as an agent for Interpol's Environmental Crimes Division. The Interpol Wildlife Working Group to be specific."

Clark's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you telling me you're a spy?" he prompted incredulously.

"I'm sort of a spy," Jordan amended.

"Oh come on, Jordan; that's like being a little bit pregnant."

"All right, fine. Yes, I am a 'spy'. That's why this freak show calling itself Animal Avengers wants me out of the way."

Clark ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "I don't believe what I'm hearing."

"Clark, it's not as bad as it sounds…" Bruce began, but fell silent at his friend's warning glare.

"Stay out of this, Bruce," Clark said tightly. "This is strictly between my sister and me."

That was not entirely accurate, but Bruce held up his hands in a mute gesture of appeasement.

"So you're a spy," Clark repeated. "Just when did you plan on sharing that piece of information with me? Was I going to read about it in your obituary?"

"I don't know, Clark, but if Mom weren't around I might have learned about your return to Earth ten weeks ago by reading yours," Jordan shot back.

_Ouch_, Bruce though to himself

"Don't make this about me, Jordan," Clark snapped, a flash of anger passing across his handsome face. "Your secret put other people in jeopardy and prevented me from being able to help you the way I should."

"Even if you had known about it before I came to Metropolis, Superman could not have prevented the attacks," Jordan responded irritably, frustration evident on her face. "And what does that say about the other people who do what I do? Am I supposed to get preferential treatment because I can have my brother protect me? That's not fair to you or me."

"It's not fair to the people who care about you to take unnecessary risks because you have to prove you can take care of yourself," Clark countered. "I know you, Jordan. You are so intent on protecting me that you would jump off a cliff in burning barrel before asking me to help you over somebody else and I love you for it." He stopped only long enough to close the gap between them and take her hands in his. "But you have to trust that I know whether or not I'm giving you 'preferential treatment'. Deciding who Superman needs to save is my job, not yours."

Knowing he was right, Jordan remained silent for a moment to rein in her temper before replying.

"I apologize for not telling you sooner," she said evenly. "I honestly felt there was no reason for you to know."

"When it comes to your safety there is nothing that I don't need to know," Clark corrected.

"I suppose not."

"Other than the fact that you work for Interpol, why do these people want you dead?" Clark inquired.

Bruce quickly filled him in on what Jordan had told him regarding the money laundering at PEACE and the terrorist connections.

"That would be consistent with what Lois and I uncovered regarding a partial shipment of weapons that was stolen in Metropolis right before I came back," Clark replied, and told them about Luthor's connection to the attacks on Jordan.

"Another reason to stake his sorry ass under the desert sun and let the ants eat him alive while he bakes to death," Jordan said to no one in particular.

"Sounds like I got off lucky with just a tongue lashing when I upset you," Bruce observed dryly.

"As long as you never try to kill my brother you're perfectly safe," Jordan responded.

"I'll make a note of that."

"Well, now that we have means, motive and opportunity, we just need a specific suspect," Clark said.

"Jordan's going to provide me with the names of the people at PEACE who could have accessed the accounts and I'll see what my sources can come up with," Bruce told him

"I'll check in with my source at the FBI and see if he's uncovered anything else," Clark returned. "I'll call you in a couple of days and we'll compare notes."

"Sounds good."

"Do you mind if I have a moment alone with Jordan?" Clark requested.

"Of course not."

The two friends exchanged a handshake before Bruce headed back toward the house, and Clark waited until he was out of earshot before addressing his sister.

"Is everything really okay with you two?"

"Everything's fine."

"And you're okay with the fact that Bruce is Batman?" Clark pressed.

Jordan smiled. "I love him, Clark," she said softly, the depth of emotion she felt for Bruce evident in her voice. "Accepting his other life is far easier than spending the rest of my life without him."

"I'm sure it is," Clark demurred. "So you're happy?"

"Ecstatic. What about you and Lois?"

"We're good. I took her and Jason to meet Mom and Ben last weekend."

"I'll bet Mom was thrilled to meet her grandson."

Clark gave her a sheepish grin. "Not as thrilled as her grandson was to meet her dog."

"My kind of kid."

"I knew you'd approve."

Jordan's smile widened. "I love you, Clark. I'm really sorry I upset you."

Clark returned her smile. "I love you too Jordan."

The siblings exchanged a hug and Jordan headed up the lawn to rejoin Bruce as Clark changed and flew away.

"Is everything all right with Clark?" Bruce inquired.

"Clark was just doing his brotherly duty by asking if I'm sure that I am really where and with who I want to be."

Bruce smiled. "Well since you are still here, and I'm still standing, I will assume he was satisfied with your answer."

Jordan returned his smile as she slid her arms around his waist. "I'm not going anywhere ever again, Handsome," she assured him.

"I'll hold you to that, Princess," Bruce returned, and lowered his head to kiss her.


	4. Chapter 4

**P.E.A.C.E. HEADQUARTERS – WASHINGTON D.C. **

Seated behind his large mahogany desk, CEO Mark Ross was reviewing the field reports from various PEACE research groups across the world when his private line rang. Setting the papers aside, he reached over to pick up the receiver.

"Mark Ross."

"We've got trouble," an accented male voice declared without preamble.

"What's the problem, Franz?" Ross asked.

"The same problem we failed to eliminate in Metropolis," Franz responded. "Jordan Kent."

"Jordan Kent is on a month long vacation at an undisclosed location," Ross replied.

"Well her location was disclosed in today's edition of the Gotham Herald. Apparently her new boyfriend is Bruce Wayne and she's staying at his home just outside Gotham City"

"I fail to see what relevance her personal life has to us," Ross said sarcastically.

"Don't be stupid, Ross. It's not enough that her brother is a high profile reporter for a major newspaper but now she's shacking up with one of the richest men on the planet. No way in hell we're going to get within five hundred yards of her."

"That is something you and your 'friends' need to work out yourselves. If your colleagues in Kenya hadn't been so sloppy we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Let's not play the blame game here, Ross," Franz admonished. "I'm not the one who spent eleven years as her boss without knowing the bitch works for Interpol."

"Fine. What do you suggest we do?"

"Perhaps a reminder to our dear Dr. Kent about what curiosity does to cats would be in order."

"Do what you have to do, but I strongly advise you to keep Bruce Wayne out of it. A man like him no doubt has friends in higher places than we do."

"You needn't worry about Wayne," Franz assured him. "Once Jordan Kent is out of the picture, he'll find himself a new toy to play with."

"I hope you're right," Ross responded, but the line was dead.

**WAYNE TOWER**

Two days later, Jordan arrived at Wayne Tower for a lunch meeting with Bruce, Lucius Fox, and the Director of Wayne Enterprises' Environmental Services Division, Elliott Webster. Webster and the people in his department had presented a proposal for a wildlife conservation branch of the ESD to Wayne Enterprises' Board of Directors several weeks ago, and now with Jordan's presence in Gotham, Lucius had suggested to Bruce that they have her review the proposal and offer her own input

Reaching the top floor, Jordan stepped off the elevator and approached the reception desk. Flashing the woman behind the desk a friendly smile, she introduced herself.

"I'm Jordan Kent. I believe Mr. Wayne and Mr. Fox are expecting me."

The woman glanced at an appointment book on her desk before responding. "Yes, Dr. Kent," she confirmed. "Mr. Wayne is in his office finishing a conference call, but Mr. Fox and Mr. Webster are waiting in the conference room. It's at the end of the hall, last door on your right."

"Thank you."

Jordan made her way down the hallway, smiling to herself as she passed Bruce's office and heard him arguing with someone over the telephone.

"Bob, tell Frank Dorsey that I said he's depriving a village somewhere of an idiot if thinks we're going to accept a loss on this!" she heard him snap.

"And he rides me about my temper," she said softly to herself.

Reaching the conference room, Jordan stepped inside and as expected found Fox and Webster all ready present. The far end of the large cedar wood table was covered with various trays of food, along with condiments and silverware.

"Good afternoon, Gentlemen," Jordan greeted.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Kent," Fox responded. "It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Mr. Fox."

"Mr. Fox makes me feel like a high school principal," Fox quipped. "Please, call me Lucius."

"All right, Lucius. Thank you."

Fox gestured at the man beside him. "This is Elliott Webster, the director of our Environmental Services Division."

"A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Kent," Webster said as he extended his hand. "I read your paper a few years back on your study of the wolves and grizzlies in Denali, Alaska. Very impressive piece."

"Thank you," Jordan replied, and they exchanged a handshake.

"Would you care for something to eat?" Fox offered, gesturing at the food.

Jordan shook her head. "I had a large breakfast."

Bruce joined them then, flashing them all an apologetic smile as he approached the group.

"I am sorry to have kept you all waiting," he said. "There was a small problem with one of our West Coast affiliates."

"Yes, apparently they are missing a village idiot," Jordan offered innocently.

Bruce sent her a knowing glance. "Didn't your mother ever teach you that it is impolite to eavesdrop, Dr. Kent?"

"My mother taught me a great many useful things, Mr. Wayne," Jordan allowed, "but it's not eavesdropping if one is shouting loud enough to be overheard in the hallway and one neglected to close the office door."

"Score one for the lady," Bruce demurred. "Shall we get started?"

The meeting lasted just over an hour and once it was finished Webster and Fox bid Jordan and Bruce farewell and left them alone in the conference room. Jordan wandered over to the trays of food and picked at some fruit as Bruce walked over to stand beside her.

"That seemed to go well." he said.

Jordan nodded and swallowed a strawberry before responding. "It went very well," she agreed. "Webster and his people obviously did some real research into what your company can do to encourage conservation on a global scale in the corporate world."

"He seems to be quite the fan of your work," Bruce remarked.

She shrugged. "Wildlife conservation is my business, and I am very good at what I do."

"Speaking of which.."

Bruce reached into his pocket and withdrew the necklace with the A1 pendant that Jordan had sent him shortly after leaving him eight weeks ago.

"I believe this belongs to you."

Jordan smiled and placed her palm against his face. "Not anymore," she countered. "Animals are no longer the love of my life, remember?"

"I appreciate the sentiment, Princess, but…"

"No 'buts'. Keep it as a symbol that despite my occasional actions to the contrary, I really do not have oatmeal for brains."

"I've never doubted it."

"If you're done letting your executives pick my brain, I am going to return to your house and pay a visit to the Yardleys."

"The Yardleys?" Bruce echoed.

"Yes. Very nice family. They own the property next to your estate, and they raise show dogs. One of the females just had a litter of puppies and I am going to 'ooo ' and 'aww' over them."

"So the way to your heart is through small cuddly creatures."

"All creatures great and small," Jordan amended. "Clark used to say that the man who marries me has to understand that it's not the size of the diamond that matters, but the size of the dog."

"I'll make a note of it."

"Will you be home for dinner, or do you have to um...go out?"

Bruce smiled. "If something comes up I'll call you. Otherwise I should be home by six o'clock."

Jordan returned his smile. "I'll see you at six o'clock then."

They exchanged a light kiss before Jordan exited the conference room. Bruce watched her leave and then shifted his attention to the food. "Let's see what's for lunch," he said to himself.

Meantime Jordan made her way to the parking structure and started for Bruce's car, which he had put at her disposal while she was with him. Digging through her purse for the keys, she paid no attention to the sound of an approaching car. As she pulled out the keys and clicked off the alarm, a large van suddenly came to a halt behind her and the door flew open. Before she could react to defend herself and/or call for help, three men grabbed her and dragged her into the van, one of them holding a chloroform soaked cloth over her face. By the time the door slammed shut and they sped out of the parking structure, Jordan was unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

Jordan awoke shortly after being kidnapped, just as the van stopped and the men piled out. Her mouth was taped to avoid her screaming, and they had tied her hands together at the wrist. As they hustled her inside an empty warehouse, Jordan noticed they were somewhere near the docks, as the smell of sea water and ship exhaust hung heavy in the air. Once inside, they practically dragged her through the building until they reached a door at the far end. Opening it, they ripped the tape from her mouth and shoved her inside the small, darkened room before locking her in.

"I have powerful friends you swine sucking piles of bull manure!" Jordan shouted. "You're going to regret this!"

"Shut up, Blondie, or we'll cut your tongue out of your throat!" one of the thugs shouted back.

"That went well," Jordan muttered to herself.

A quick glance around the room told her there was no chance of escape, and the size of the room combined with the lack of light was immediately beginning to trigger Jordan's claustrophobia.

_Never again will I complain about the size of Wayne Manor._

The door opened again a few minutes later, and Jordan glanced over expectantly as the three men who had abducted her stepped into the room. They were average looking men, short in stature with stocky builds and attitudes to match. The man in front was the tallest of the three, and one of the others had red hair in lieu of his companions' brown. The tall man shifted his arm and it was then Jordan noticed he was brandishing a metal rod about an inch thick and three to four feet long.

_This can't be good_, she mused anxiously.

"This is your lucky day, Blondie," he told her. "See, we were supposed to kill you and dump your body in the harbor. But, some of our associates in the Middle East have offered us a small fortune for you. Apparently they have a thing for blonde American women."

He paused then to give her a lecherous leer and Jordan felt revulsion trickle down her spine as he continued.

"So after we teach you some manners and rough you up some so our employer believes we killed you, we're going to ship you out of here."

"And your 'associates' overseas won't have a problem with receiving damaged goods?" Jordan prompted.

"As long as there's no permanent damage, they can deal with it."

_Oh, joy. Bruce, where are you?_

**WAYNE MANOR**

Security personnel at Wayne Enterprises had informed Bruce of Jordan's abduction less than half an hour after she was taken, when a guard patrolling the lot found the discarded keys next to Bruce's Lamborghini and instructed the security office to check the tape. Alternating between rage at her kidnapping and fear for her safety, he had broken more than a few speed limits on the drive home. Upon reaching the Manor, Bruce stormed into his house and slammed the door behind him, ignoring the maid cleaning the front foyer whom he scared half to death with his dramatic entry. Loosening his tie as he strode down the hallway toward the study, he bellowed for Alfred.

"Alfred! Where are you?"

"Right here, sir," Alfred responded, materializing seemingly from nowhere at the summons. "I have everything ready for you down below and Lucius is tracking Miss Jordan's cell phone as we speak. He'll send the coordinates to the car as soon as he verifies the signal."

"These bastards are going to regret the day they were born," Bruce vowed, and released a frustrated curse as the men made their way to the Bat Cave. "Damnit! I should have known better than to let her go anywhere alone with these zealots running around."

"Perhaps you could look at the glass as half full, Master Bruce," Alfred suggested. "Given Miss Jordan's mercurial temper, they may very well be happy to return her to you once they've gotten a sample of it."

Bruce almost smiled at that. "One can only hope, Alfred. One can only hope."

Pain. It was a constant companion now, and filled every fiber of her being. Easing herself upward to a sitting position. Jordan bit down on her lip to avoid gasping aloud and alerting her captors that she was awake again. Despite her best efforts to defend herself, the beating by her abductors had done some damage. Her newly healed left wrist had been fractured again and from the pain in her side she was guessing some ribs were also bruised or cracked. Her face and arms were covered with various defensive scratches and bruises, and she carefully released a ragged sigh as she contemplated her situation

_I hope to God Bruce gets here soon,_ she mused_. If these scumbags decide to take any more shots at me, I'm as good as dead._

Unaware their prisoner was awake, the men were in the other room, playing poker at a small plastic table in the center of the empty warehouse. The table was covered with cash, chips and a satellite phone, as well as the digital camera they had used to take photos of the 'dead' Jordan. It was after dusk now, so a pair of table lamps and the glow of the harbor lights provided the only illumination in the room.

"I'll see your ten and raise you another twenty," the tallest thug said, and placed his bet.

"I'm out," the redheaded thug replied, and tossed his cards on the table.

"What about you, Billy?" the first thug asked of the remaining player. "You feeling lucky?"

"I don't think so," a raspy voice responded from the shadows.

Immediately the men upended the table as they jumped to their feet, two pulling guns as the third grabbed his metal rod.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

Silence.

"C'mon, show yourself you coward!" the thug taunted again.

There was a sudden swoosh of displaced air signaling movement from the mysterious shadow dweller and the thug with the rod shifted toward it just as Batman materialized out of the darkness in front of him.

"Boo," he said simply and grabbing the rod from the thug, struck him once across the jaw and a second time across the back of the knees, sending the other man to the floor writhing in agony. The other men raised their guns in his direction, but before they could fire, Batman had taken two mini-batarangs and sent them flying toward his adversaries, knocking the guns from their hands. Closing the distance between them, he sent one crashing to the ground with an elbow to the face, breaking his nose. The third man suddenly bolted for the door, but Batman extended his hand and a metal wire shot out from a small device in his hand to wrap itself around the man's ankles, sending him crashing to the floor with an audible thud.

The kidnappers taken care of, Batman grabbed the keys lying on the ground by the overturned table and crossed the floor to unlock the room where Jordan was being held. She instinctively tried to crawl into a corner at his entry, but even such a simple movement sent a shaft of agony through her assorted injuries.

"Oh, damn, that hurts…" she moaned aloud.

"Jordan, it's me," Batman said as he approached.

"Batman…" she said through clenched teeth. "How did you find me?"

"The GPS chip in your cell phone."

He took a moment to make a cursory inventory of her injuries, but the lack of light prevented him from fully determining what the kidnappers had done to her.

"Where are you injured?"

"My left wrist is broken again and I'm pretty sure they took out a couple of ribs."

Batman sighed. "I need to move you into the other room, but I don't have anything to give you for the pain and unfortunately it's going to increase exponentially as soon as I put pressure on your ribs."

"Just get me out of here, please."

"Wrap your uninjured arm around my neck."

Jordan did as she was instructed and as carefully as he could, Batman picked up and carried her into the other room. Even with the minimal illumination from the table lights, he could see her face clearer now, the bruises and dirt covered scrapes a stark contrast to her fair skin. After gently setting her in a chair, he gathered the kidnappers in the center of the room and tied them together with his metal rope. Once they were secured, he returned to Jordan's side, only to discover she had passed out again from the pain.

Once again gathering her into his arms, Batman gently but swiftly carried her outside and eased her battered body into the Batmobile. Climbing inside on the driver's side, he punched a few directions into the computer before starting up the vehicle and heading out of the harbor. Pressing a pair of buttons on the computer panel, the speaker phone came on as it rang through to Gordon's direct line.

"Jim Gordon," a weary voice answered.

"Christmas has come early this year, Commissioner," Batman said.

"Batman?" Gordon prompted.

"Yes. There's a present for you in an empty warehouse at the end of Pier 30. I'll be by your office shortly to explain."

"All right. See you then."

Pushing another button on the dash, he was instantly connected to his house phone.

"Wayne Manor," Alfred answered.

"Alfred, it's me. I've got Jordan and I'm taking her to the Free Clinic. I'll meet you at home after I talk to Gordon."

"Very good, sir."

Ending the call, Batman permitted himself a quick glance at Jordan's still form in the seat beside him.

"Hang in there, Jordan," he whispered.

**GOTHAM CITY HALL**

Closing the file he had been reviewing, Police Commissioner Jim Gordon released a faint sigh as he reached his hand behind his neck to rub out the crick.

"Good evening, Commissioner," a raspy voice greeted.

Gordon started at the voice and glanced over to see Batman standing just inside his window.

"I really wish you wouldn't do that."

"There's a situation brewing in Gotham that I wanted to bring to your attention," Batman told him.

"I assume this is connected to the men you left tied up in that warehouse?" Gordon prompted.

"It is. Those men were hired hands who kidnapped a woman and held her against her will in the warehouse after beating her for their own amusement."

"Who are they working for?" Gordon asked.

"It would be best for you to speak with the lady directly for the details," Batman evaded. "Her name is Jordan Kent and she's staying at Wayne Manor."

"I'll head out there first thing in the morning," Gordon told him.

An innocuous noise from the hallway outside his office distracted Gordon momentarily and when he returned his attention to Batman, he was gone.

**GOTHAM FREE CLINIC**

By the time Bruce had returned home to shower and change and have Alfred drive him back to the clinic, Jordan was in the recovery room with a fresh cast adorning her left wrist and support bandages wrapped around her ribcage. The doctor in charge of the clinic was Leslie Thompkins, a sometime romantic partner of Alfred's and one of the few people on the planet who knew of Bruce's dual identity. A slender woman in her early 60's, Thompkins had green eyes and shoulder length silver hair and had proven her loyalty to Alfred and Bruce many times over. She was checking Jordan's vital signs when the men arrived and after walking into the reception area to greet them, gave them a small smile.

"Hello Bruce, Alfred."

"Leslie," Alfred returned.

"How's Jordan?" Bruce asked without preamble.

"She's fine," Thompkins responded. "Her left wrist was broken, which may possibly have resulted in permanent damage to the muscles from the trauma of two major fractures in as many months. She has also five injured ribs: one cracked and two bruised on the left, and two bruised on the right. Thankfully she was spared any internal injuries. Everything else is only superficial scrapes and bruises that will heal in a few days."

"Is she awake?"

"Yes, but she's on some fairly heavy pain medication. It kicks in rather fast, however, so she should be comfortable enough for you to take her home."

Bruce nodded and walked past Thompkins into Jordan's room. Once he was out of earshot, she glanced at Alfred.

"He's serious about this one, isn't he?" she prompted.

"Quite," Alfred confirmed.

Inside the recovery room, Bruce approached Jordan with a warm smile, settling himself on the edge of her bed.

"You're turning me gray before my time, Princess," he said with forced levity and took her hand in his, careful not to dislodge the IV. "How are you holding up?"

"About as well as can be expected," Jordan responded, exhaustion and residual pain evident in her tone. "Did Dr. Thompkins fill you in on the damage?"

"Sounds like you're in for another round of oatmeal pills," Bruce teased, but his grin faded when he saw her eyes well with tears. "Jordan…"

"I thought I was going to die," Jordan said in a wobbly whisper. "I really thought that they were going to kill me, and I would never see you or Clark or my mother again."

"Come here."

Bruce carefully pulled her into his arms and Jordan clung to him fiercely, sobbing in his embrace for several minutes before at last getting her emotions under control. Releasing a ragged breath, she pulled back far enough to meet his concerned gaze and flashed him sheepish smile.

"I hope your sweater is waterproof," she said lightly.

Bruce gently brushed a stray hair from her face. "I swear to you, Jordan, that these guys are not going to get near you again," he promised. "From now on, you don't set a single foot outside of the house unless you have me or Alfred with you, and you don't go anywhere unless he drives you." His expression was grim and it was clear he was not going to entertain any arguments about his edict. "I know how important your independence is to you, but until I am certain that you are no longer in danger, I'm not taking any more chances with your life."

"Okay," Jordan said simply.

Her immediate agreement caught Bruce off-guard. "Okay?" he repeated. "That's it? No ranting and shouting about being able to take care of yourself?"

"I think it has become pathetically obvious just how incapable I am of protecting myself under these circumstances," Jordan responded. "From now on you and Clark get to be the heroes and I am just going to sit back and enjoy the show."

"Well. I just may have to keep you on these pills permanently if they make you so agreeable," Bruce teased.

"Uh-huh," she demurred, and tossed back the bed covers. "If you're done tormenting me, I'd really like to get dressed and go home."

Bruce smiled at her use of the word 'home'. "Your wish is my command, Princess," he responded.

Bruce slid off the bed onto his feet and helped ease Jordan onto hers just as Alfred stepped into the room.

"Excuse the intrusion, Miss Jordan, but you'll be needing these," he said, and handed her a stack of clean clothes.

"Thank you, Alfred."

"I'm glad to see you will still be around to help me keep Master Bruce in check," Alfred added.

"I'll do my best."

"Hello…I am standing right here," Bruce interjected.

"Of course you are, sir," Alfred agreed, and left the room. Once he was gone, Jordan shifted her gaze to meet Bruce's.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue tonight," she said softly.

"You're very welcome."


	6. Chapter 6

**WAYNE MANOR**

The following day, Jordan awoke alone in Bruce's bed, the sun streaming in through the windows indicating she had slept well into the morning. She lay still for a few moments, waiting for her 'sleep hang over' and the remnants of the painkillers to wear off. Once her head was clear, she cautiously eased herself up and out of bed, mindful of her injured ribs, and headed into the bathroom. After managing to shower and wash her hair with minimal discomfort, Jordan pulled on her jeans and a navy blue turtleneck before making her way downstairs. She started for the dining room, but stopped when Alfred called to her.

"Good morning, Miss Jordan."

"Good morning, Alfred."

"Master Bruce is in the Southeast wing," Alfred told her. "He asked me to bring you to him when you came to breakfast."

"Lead the way."

Alfred escorted Jordan through the house and down the secret elevator to the Bat Cave. Having heard the elevator approaching, Bruce was waiting to greet them when they reached bottom.

"Thank you for the lady's prompt delivery, Alfred," he said. "I'm expecting Commissioner Gordon to stop by this morning, so please let me know when he arrives."

"Certainly, sir."

Alfred went back up the shaft in the elevator as Bruce turned his attention to Jordan. "Hi," he greeted warmly. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Like I've been run over by a train," Jordan responded. "My ribs are bothering me, and I'm pretty sore everywhere else, but I slept very well. I think your bed has magical healing powers."

"If my bed has magical powers, Princess, they certainly don't have anything to do with healing," Bruce countered pointedly.

Jordan flushed at the implication behind his remark. "Let's shelve this discussion until my ribs are healed," she said dryly, then slowly glanced at her surroundings. "So this is where it all happens."

"More or less. Lucius has some equipment at the office, but the majority of what I need is stored here."

He took her hand in his and began to lead her around the cave, explaining the all of the gadgets and gizmos as he showed them to her. He saved the Batmobile for last, and Jordan let out an appreciative whistle as they approached the car.

"Nice wheels," she said. "I know some NASCAR drivers that would give their eyeteeth for five minutes behind the wheel of this thing."

"I doubt they could afford the insurance premium."

"Ha, ha. What were these tunnels originally used for?"

"My great grandfather used them to help the Underground Railroad during the Civil War," Bruce explained.

"This is pretty amazing, all of this technology hidden under your house. Now I understand why you have been so adamant that you can protect me better here."

"Thank you for saying so."

A sudden thought occurred to her then and she cast Bruce a worried frown. "I just realized that I have to call Clark and tell him what happened," she replied. "After our last conversation, he's going to go through the roof. Possibly literally."

"He has the right to be upset, Jordan. This is the third time these would be terrorists have tried to kill you and he wasn't there to protect you."

"I don't understand why he holds himself personally responsible every time I get into trouble," Jordan returned. "Life happens and Superman can't always be there to stop it from hurting."

"Clark is your brother. He loves you, and even though he is radically overprotective, I understand where he's coming from."

Their conversation was interrupted by the picture phone on the computer flickering to life, and Alfred's voice filtered into the cave. "Excuse me, Master Bruce, but Commissioner Gordon is here."

"We'll be right there, Alfred."

The couple made their way back to the elevator and rode up to the main house. Walking down the hallway, they encountered Gordon waiting in the main foyer.

"Good morning, Commissioner," Bruce greeted.

"Mister Wayne," Gordon returned, and glanced at Jordan. _Even with everything she went through last night, she could still stop traffic with that face_, he mused silently. Aloud he said, "You must be Jordan Kent. I'm Jim Gordon, Gotham's Police Commissioner."

"Good to meet you, Commissioner," Jordan returned.

"If Mr. Wayne can spare you for a few minutes, I'd like to ask you some questions about your abduction yesterday," Gordon requested.

"I'll be happy to answer any questions you have Commissioner, but you can speak freely in front of Bruce. We have no secrets."

"Of course," Gordon allowed. "Why don't you start at the beginning by telling me when and where you were taken?"

Jordan explained about being abducted from the parking structure at Wayne Enterprises and taken to the warehouse. She also gave him an overview of the conversation she had had with the kidnappers before they assaulted her, as well as her eventual rescue by Batman.

"I must have passed out after Batman carried me out of the back room, because I don't remember anything else until I woke up at the clinic," she finished.

"Do you have any idea who hired these men to kill you?" Gordon questioned.

"Not the specific person, no. But I uncovered evidence some weeks ago that somebody at PEACE is laundering money for terrorist activities and they apparently discovered that I knew, because they tried to have me killed twice when I was in Metropolis two months ago."

"What happened?"

Jordan told him about the missile attacks on the Convention Center and her rental car.

"So you think that the incidents in Metropolis were the work of the same person or persons who hired the men to kidnap you?"

"Yes."

Gordon let out a low whistle. "Obviously you've angered some pretty powerful people, Dr. Kent," he remarked. "Who else knows that you were the target of the attacks in Metropolis?"

"My brother is a reporter for the Daily Planet and has been working with the local FBI office to try and determine who's behind the attacks."

"Do you mind if I contact him and see if he has any information that might be useful?"

"Not at all," Jordan assured him, and provided him with Clark's name, as well as the name of the FBI agent he was working with.

Gordon nodded as he made notes on a small pad. "I appreciate your cooperation, Dr. Kent," he said. "If I have any other questions, I'll be in touch."

"Not a problem. Thank you."

Gordon bid farewell to Bruce and showed himself out of the house. Once he was gone, Jordan turned to Bruce.

"Now I definitely have to call Clark," she said. "If the Commissioner talks with him before I do, I'm toast."

"Why don't you use the phone in the study? I'm going to ask Alfred to get breakfast started and I'll meet you there."

Jordan nodded and made her way to the study while Bruce headed for the kitchen. She crossed over to settle herself behind the desk and picked up the phone as she dialed Clark's cell phone. He answered on the second ring, sounding like his usual unflappable self.

"Clark Kent."

"Hey, Clark."

"Hi, Jordan. It's good to hear from you."

"How's life in Metropolis treating you these days?" Jordan asked.

"Work is work and there's been a rash of car jackings that have kept Superman busy, but nothing out of the ordinary."

"How are Lois and Jason?"

"Unfortunately they both have the flu," Clark revealed. "I took the day off of work so I could take care of them."

"Too bad Mom's not around. Her homemade chicken soup can cure anything."

"Except stubborn little sisters who are too independent for their own good," Clark countered.

"Such a comedian," Jordan retorted sarcastically.

Bruce joined her then and she acknowledged him with a smile as she conversed with Clark

"So do you want to keep making small talk, or do you want to tell me the real reason for your call?" Clark prompted.

"Can't I just call to say hello to my favorite brother?"

"Quit stalling, Jordan."

Jordan sighed. "I was attacked again," she confessed.

"What?!" Clark exploded. "Are you all right?"

"Well l am hurt," she admitted.

"How badly?"

"Mostly superficial stuff, but my left wrist was broken again and I've got one cracked rib with four bruised ones."

"When did this happen?" Clark queried.

"Yesterday afternoon," Jordan told him. "I was abducted by three men in a van when I was leaving Bruce's office."

Clark immediately launched into a tirade about "Where the hell was Bruce?" and "Why wasn't I told last night?", prompting a weary Jordan to hand the phone to Bruce.

"Would you please see if you can reason with him?" she requested. "I don't have the energy this morning to go another round with him."

Bruce took the receiver away from her and placed to his ear. "Clark, its Bruce."

"What's going on with my sister?" Clark demanded.

Bruce calmly explained the events of Jordan's abduction and subsequent assault, finishing with her rescue by Batman and that morning's brief meeting with Gordon.

"Everything is under control here, Clark," he assured his friend. "Jordan has agreed not to go anywhere without Alfred or me as an escort and I'm keeping her out of the city for a few days while she recovers."

"If I weren't needed here with Lois and Jason I'd be there right now dealing with Jordan myself," Clark declared.

"Cut her some slack, Clark. She's hurt and she's scared and frankly she isn't up to dealing with her overprotective big brother right now."

Clark sighed. "You're right. I shouldn't take my frustrations out on Jordan. But this is the kind of stuff I have nightmares about."

"I know," Bruce concurred and cast a loving glance at Jordan. "I've had some of the same ones since I met a beautiful blonde biologist in Metropolis several weeks ago."

"Promise me you'll keep her safe, Bruce. Don't let these creeps get their hands on her again."

"They won't. You have my word."

"Would you put Jordan back on please?"

Bruce wordlessly returned the phone to Jordan. "He wants to talk to you again."

Jordan gave him a skeptical look but accepted the receiver. "Are you done yelling at me?"

"I apologize for that, but you know that these attacks are tying into my worst fears about protecting my family."

"I'm okay, Clark. Honest. Bruce is taking very good care of me and Alfred treats me like royalty."

"I imagine you feel like royalty roaming around in that monstrosity Bruce calls his house," Clark quipped.

"It's not a cozy family farm in Smallville but it'll do," Jordan responded.

"I'm sure it will. I love you, Jordan. Please put your pride aside for a little while and do what Bruce tells you so he can keep you alive."

"I promise to be on my best behavior," Jordan vowed and on the other side of the desk Bruce raised an eyebrow in silent skepticism.

"I'll hold you to that. I'll come see you when Jason and Lois are feeling better."

"Bring them with you," Jordan requested. "Lois and I have some catching up to do and Jason will love the neighbors' dogs. Plus he has to sign my cast again."

"It's a date. Be careful, Little Sister."

"I will. Bye, Clark."

Jordan hung up the phone and met Bruce's inquiring gaze.

"Everything okay?" he prompted.

"Right as rain. Thank you for running interference. Clark's temper is almost as bad as mine."

"So I've noticed," Bruce allowed. "I'm beginning to think I should have fallen in love with a librarian."

Jordan snorted. "You would have died from boredom within a week," she retorted and Bruce laughed out loud.


	7. Chapter 7

A week passed, and as only a few minor incidents had required Batman's attention, Bruce was able to squeeze in some quality time with Jordan after his nightly patrols. He was still working on uncovering who the embezzler was at PEACE, and although he had narrowed the list of suspects from five people to two, business issues with Wayne Enterprises had consumed most of his time.

Under the watchful eyes of Alfred and Bruce, Jordan was making a steady recovery from her assault. All of her visible injuries had healed, and although her ribs were still causing her pain, it grew less with each passing day. With Bruce's permission, she had converted one of the downstairs guest bedrooms into a home office, allowing her to keep up on her work via computer and fax. Early one afternoon she was reviewing her email messages when she came across one from her boss at PEACE, Mark Ross. Opening it, she realized that it had been sent to her in error, having accidentally been copied to her when being sent to the intended recipient. Although she did not recognize the recipient's email address, the text of the message was unmistakable.

Situation with JK still unresolved. Third strike unsuccessful and exterminators taken into police custody. Must meet ASAP to formulate new plans for elimination.

"That son of a bitch," Jordan muttered to herself. "I have to show this to Bruce."

Jordan quickly turned on her printer and printed out a copy of the incriminating email. Grabbing it in her uninjured hand, she quickly exited the room and went to find Bruce. She found Alfred first, giving instructions to one of the housekeepers, and she walked over to him.

"Excuse me, Alfred. Where's Bruce?"

Alfred dismissed the housekeeper before answering. "Mister Wayne is in the Southeast wing, Miss Jordan. Is there a problem?"

"Not for much longer," Jordan responded. "Thanks, Alfred."

Jordan made her to the music room and took the elevator down to the Bat Cave. She found Bruce at his computer, and he turned expectantly as she approached.

"You don't look like a happy woman," he observed.

"You're going to be a lot unhappier when I show you what I found in my email," Jordan countered, and handed him the print out. "I think we've got our embezzler."

Bruce quickly scanned the message before returning his attention to Jordan. "How did you get this?" he asked.

"My best guess is that Mark somehow cc'd me by accident when he sent the message. He had sent me a couple of other emails on legitimate PEACE business and his computer must have picked up my address."

"Any idea who this other email address belongs to?"

"No but hopefully that's something you can find out," Jordan replied, and ran her hand through her hair in frustration. "I trusted this man, Bruce. He was friend, and my mentor. He was practically a second father to me."

"You knew he was a suspect, Jordan. His name was on the top of the list you gave me of the executives at PEACE who had access to the corporate funds."

"Of course it was because he's CEO," Jordan stated. "It never occurred to me that he could be the one responsible for the attempts on my life." She sighed and pressed a hand against her aching ribs. "But now that I think about it, it does make a certain amount of sense."

"How so?" Bruce queried.

"Mark is the one who approves my assignments and he always knows where I am at any given time," Jordan explained. "He was the one who insisted I go to Metropolis as part of the PEACE delegation for the CITES convention, and he was the one who told me that the zoo officials wanted me to consult with them about the tigers the day my rental car was hit."

"Did you tell him you were coming to Gotham?"

"No, but he certainly could have seen our picture in the paper and discovered I was here."

"In that case it does look like Ross is the guilty party," Bruce allowed, "but we need more than this email to prove it."

"Well my security code will get you into the corporate archives but if Mark is online when you start snooping around, he'll be alerted," Jordan warned. "PEACE's computer system has a program that automatically alerts another user when one of the company executives is online. Once it identifies you by your security code, it sends an instant message to a previously designated recipient called your 'Security Buddy' informing them that you're online. It's supposed to prevent hackers from accessing the company's records or prevent the kind of illegal activity that Mark is engaging in. In my case, every time I sign on with my security code Mark is the one that's alerted."

"Obviously there's a way around it if Ross has been funneling money out of the company," Bruce pointed out. "Do you know who would be alerted when he signs on?"

"I have no idea, but I might be able to find out."

Jordan reached around him and picked up the receiver for the land line telephone that was incorporated into the computer system. Dialing in the direct number for Ross' office, she waited patiently for his assistant to pick up the call, which she finally did on the third ring.

"Mark Ross' office, this is Rebecca," a cheerful feminine voice answered.

"Becky, hi…it's Jordan Kent."

"Oh hi, Dr. Kent. I saw your picture in the paper with that dreamy Bruce Wayne. Is he as gorgeous in person as he looks in the photograph?"

Rebecca Parker was in her early 20's and while perfectly capable at her job, she had a tendency to get star struck by some of the corporation's more high profile donors.

"Yes, he is," Jordan confirmed impatiently. "Look, Becky, I need a favor."

"Sure. What can I do for you?"

"I'm updating some of my personal records and I need to know who Mark's Security Buddy is."

"Oh sure. Hang on."

Rebecca placed her on hold while she located the information and Jordan glanced over at Bruce. "Mark Ross' assistant thinks you're gorgeous," she informed him blithely.

"Intelligent woman," Bruce responded.

Jordan rolled her eyes as Rebecca came back on the line. "I'm back. Mr. Ross' Security Buddy is Franz Reinkin."

"Excellent. Thanks so much Becky. Oh by the way, do you know if Mark saw that picture of me you mentioned?"

"Oh, yeah," Rebecca told her. "He was really surprised too because he thought you were on vacation somewhere."

"Okay. Thanks again for the help, Becky. And please don't tell Mark I called. I'm planning a surprise for him for the company's anniversary party."

"No problem. Have fun with Bruce Wayne."

"Good-bye, Becky."

Jordan hung up the phone. "All the pieces are coming together nicely now," she replied. "Mark's Security Buddy is PEACE's CFO Franz Reinkin. He transferred from our German division about three years ago."

"Really.." Bruce said and quickly pulled up a file on his computer. He type in a few commands on the keyboard and the list of names Jordan had given him popped up. "Look at the two names I narrowed your list down to."

"Mark Ross and Franz Reinkin. Bingo."

"If we can find a way to prove Reinkin and Ross were collaborating to fund the terrorist groups, we might actually be able to bring these creeps to justice."

"And in the process destroy everything that the rest of us at PEACE have worked so hard to create," Jordan added. "As soon as the public gets wind of this, we'll receive fewer donations than the homeless people down the street."

"'I'm sorry, Jordan. I know this must be difficult for you."

"Not as difficult as its going to be for these jerks when I get done with them," Jordan declared.

**METROPOLIS**

Lois stifled a frustrated sigh as she walked into her house. It had been a difficult day at work with many of the other reporters at home suffering from the same flu that she and Jason had dealt with the week before, and Perry was grumpier than usual trying to assign the healthy reporters the extra stories. Clark had vanished some time in the early afternoon, presumably to deal with someone or something needing Superman's attention, and Jason was spending the night with a friend. Hoping to take advantage of some rare solitude, Lois was planning on settling into a nice hot bubble bath with a glass of wine. As she entered the living room, however, she suddenly noticed that the room was filled with candles. Rose petals of every color covered the floor and merged into a trail leading up the stairs.

"What in the world…?"

Tossing her coat and purse onto the couch, she slowly followed the trail of petals up the stairs, down the hall and into the master bedroom. Walking inside, she discovered Clark standing in the center of the room, dressed in a tuxedo. Both the floor and the bed were covered with more rose petals and the room was filled with additional candles.

"Surprise," he said softly.

"What is all of this, Clark?" Lois asked, surprise and wonder in her expression and tone.

Clark closed the distance between them and took her hands in his. "It was seven years ago today that I walked into the Daily Planet to apply for a job and met a feisty, independent reporter who would change my life," he replied, adoration evident in his tone. "You and I have traveled a long, hard road together, Lois. We've argued; we've laughed; we've loved. And along the way we created an amazing little boy who carries within him the best of both of us."

Clark released her right hand and reaching into his pocket, withdrew a sedate but beautiful diamond ring, which he slid onto the fourth finger of her left hand.

"I love you, Lois, with all that I am, and if you'll let me, I will spend the rest of my life proving it. Will you marry me?"

Using her free hand to wipe away the tears now streaming down her face, Lois nodded vehemently as she responded with a resounding "Yes!"

Pulling her into his arms, Clark lowered his head to give her a passionate kiss, but their lips had barely met when the phone rang.

"You have got to be kidding me," Clark groaned.

"Let the machine get it," Lois instructed and they resumed their kiss as Clark moved her toward the bed. Yet no sooner had they tumbled onto the pile of petals than Jordan's voice filtered out of the machine.

"Clark, its Jordan. If you're there, please pick up."

Clark released another frustrated groan. Under any other circumstances or if the caller had been anyone other than his sister, he would simply have ignored the message and continued his lovemaking with Lois. But after the most recent attack, his nerves were on edge when it came to Jordan and he gave Lois an apologetic smile as he reached over to pick up the receiver.

"Jordan, I'm here," he said breathlessly. "What's going on?"

"Why didn't you answer…"

Jordan stopped in mid-sentence as she instantly realized the reason for Clark's delay in answering the phone and shortness of breath.

"Oh my gosh… I interrupted you and Lois…I am so sorry Clark."

"What's going on, Jordan?" he repeated.

"If you can, I need you to come to the house tomorrow. There's been a new development with this whole terrorist business you should know about."

"Please tell me they haven't come after you again."

"No, I'm fine," Jordan assured him quickly. "But I do need you to come to the house. You can bring Lois and Jason with you too."

"We'll be there in time for lunch," Clark told her.

"Great, thanks Clark. And really, I am so sorry…"

"Good-bye, Jordan."

Clark replaced the receiver in its cradle before returning his attention to Lois. "Now, where were we?"

"Right here," Lois answered, and pulled him down to meet her kiss.

In the Bat Cave, Jordan hung up the phone as she closed her eyes in mortification. "I cannot believe I just did that," she muttered.

"I take your timing was less than impeccable?" Bruce asked lightly.

"They were…well starting to anyway…why would he pick up the phone?"

Bruce merely gave her a knowing look as he rose to his feet.

"Silly question. Clark's Clark and it was me calling. Oh, gosh...I am so not going to be able to face him tomorrow. I'm just not."

"May I make a suggestion?"

"By all means."

"Maybe you would feel less mortified about disrupting your brother's love life if you resumed your own," Bruce suggested innocently.

Jordan permitted herself a small smile. "Are you propositioning me?"

"Absolutely."

Jordan laughed as he pulled her into his arms.

**P.E.A.C.E. HEADQUARTERS**

"Mark Ross."

"What the hell is going on, Ross?" Franz demanded.

"Franz?"

"Yes. I just received your email and I noticed that you sent a copy of it to Jordan Kent."

"What are you talking about?"

"Check the message, Ross. Under the cc line you inserted Jordan Kent's email address."

Ross quickly pulled up his email account and located the message in question, releasing a curse when he discovered his mistake.

"Son of a bitch!" he exclaimed. "I was half asleep last night when I was sending her some emails on company business and I must have somehow put her address in your message."

"Has she seen it yet?" Franz pressed.

"I don't know but I promise you I will find out and handle it," Ross said.

"Don't bother," Franz snapped. "If Jordan does read this, the first thing she's going to do is take what she knows to her brother and Bruce Wayne. And if they get involved, we're both going to go down. So I am going to make arrangements to have the issue of Jordan Kent permanently resolved by Christmas. In the meantime, now would be a good time for you to disappear."

"I can't do that. What about my family and my position here?"

"It wasn't a suggestion, Ross. You've got 48 hours to find yourself a nice remote corner of the world to relocate to or you're going to be a casualty of our war against Jordan Kent."

He slammed the phone down without giving Ross a chance to respond.


	8. Chapter 8

**WAYNE MANOR**

As agreed, Clark arrived at Bruce's house just after noon the following day, accompanied by Lois and Jason. Jordan and Bruce were waiting in the driveway when they pulled up and the group exchanged warm greetings as Jordan and Clark exchanged a hug.

"You don't look too worse for wear," Clark observed. "How are you feeling?"

"My ribs are still a little sore but otherwise I'm fine," Jordan told him.

"Everything still good with you and Bruce?"

"Everything is wonderful."

The others joined them then, and Clark slid an arm around Lois' waist. "Before we head inside, Lois and I have an announcement to make," he said. "Last night I asked her to marry me and she said yes."

"Woo-hoo!" Jordan shouted in delight. "It's about time."

She quickly enveloped Clark in another hug and gave Lois one as well. "I am so happy for you two. That is terrific news."

"Congratulations to you both," Bruce added, and exchanged a handshake with Clark.

"Have you told Mom yet?" Jordan asked.

"I'm going to tell her when we go to Montana for Christmas," Clark said.

"Oh, come on, Clark," Jordan protested. "That's three weeks away. You can't expect me to keep this to myself that long."

"Jordan, if you let this slip to Mom before Lois and I are there to tell her in person, I'm going to tell her about your latest attack before you do," Clark warned.

"That's blackmail."

"Whatever works."

"I want to see the puppies," Jason interjected.

"You can see them after lunch, honey," Lois told him.

As if on cue, Alfred stepped outside then and called to Bruce. "Lunch is ready to be served, Master Bruce," he said. "Will you be dining in the house or outside?"

"I think we'll have lunch on the South terrace, Alfred," Bruce replied.

"Very good, sir."

Alfred retreated back into the house and the others followed a moment later.

After a leisurely lunch filled with small talk and good natured ribbing among the adults, Lois and Jordan left the men to themselves as they took Jason down the road to visit the Yardley's dogs. Unwilling to leave them unprotected even for a short jaunt down the road, Bruce had asked Alfred to accompany them Margaret Yardley was an attractive woman in her early 40's, who welcomed them with a friendly smile and fresh lemonade. Jason was intimidated at first by the dogs, who were purebred Great Danes of various colors and sizes, with all of the adults outweighing the Humans. Yet his anxiety quickly faded when Margaret introduced him to the newest arrivals, a trio of gangly puppies about five weeks old. While Alfred conversed with the Yardleys, Lois and Jordan watched from a few feet away as Jason played with the puppies and laughed in delight as he allowed himself to be used as a Human chew toy.

"He certainly loves dogs," Lois observed.

"He comes by it naturally," Jordan replied. "While we were growing up in Smallville, Clark was always shadowed by the family dog on one side and me on the other. Frankly I think he had an easier time keeping the dog in line."

Lois smiled. "He's shared some of the more interesting stories of your youth," she said. "He says keeping you out of trouble was his training for becoming Superman."

Jordan laughed. "I imagine I was only slightly less trouble than some of the more interesting characters he's come across over the years," she allowed.

"He's been really worried about you, you know."

"I know. I've been giving him a hard time about it, but I know how difficult it's been for him to see me continually assaulted and not be able to anything about it."

"How's Bruce handling it?"

Jordan's face creased into an affectionate smile. "He's almost as bad as Clark when it comes to being overprotective, but I have to admit that I have never felt safer," she confessed. "And thankfully he is amused by my infamous temper rather than intimidated by it."

"Somehow I don't see Bruce Wayne as not being with a woman who isn't afraid to give him a swift kick in the behind now and again," Lois remarked. "He really seems to care about you."

"As I do him. I can honestly say that right now, being with Bruce despite the threat hanging over me, is the happiest I have ever been."

Lois nodded. "You know, for a pair of women who pride themselves on their independence and their self-reliance, we sure turned into suckers when it came to love."

"Yeah, but what a way to go. And speaking of which, have you and Clark set a date yet?"

"No, but it will probably be early next year sometime. Neither of us wants a large wedding; just something small and intimate with family and friends."

"Well if there is anything I can do to help you with he planning, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Actually, there is one thing I wanted to ask you," Lois revealed nervously and gave Jordan a shy smile. "It would mean a lot to me – and to Clark – if you would agree to be my Maid of Honor."

"Lois…I am touched that you would even consider having me stand up for you, but what about your sister?"

"Lucy and I don't really have much of a relationship and I don't even know if I want her at the wedding," Lois said. "Besides, if you hadn't convinced Clark that he should be honest with me, we wouldn't be together now."

"I don't know how much credit I can take for that, but if you're sure, than I would be thrilled to be your Maid of Honor."

The two women exchanged a hug just as Jason wandered over, attempting to hold onto one of the puppies.

"Mommy, can I take this one home?" he asked.

"No, honey; he's too big and he is still too young to leave his mommy."

"We should probably head back over to Bruce's," Jordan said. "With everything that's happened lately, he and Clark are liable to start worrying if we're gone too long."

Lois nodded in agreement, and summoning Jason, she and Jordan bid farewell to Margaret Yardley and started back to Wayne Manor with Alfred.

Meanwhile back at the house, the men were engaged in a discussion almost identical to the one just shared by their respective significant others.

"How are you holding up with all of this terrorist business swirling around Jordan?" Clark asked.

"I'll be better once we have all of these morons behind bars," Bruce answered. "And now that we know specifically who we're dealing with, it will be that much easier to make it happen."

Clark nodded. Bruce had filled him in on the email Jordan had received in error and the subsequent discovery of Ross and Reinkin's involvement in her attacks.

"I know Mark Ross was a mentor to her," Clark said. "I imagine she didn't react well to the discovery."

"I think a part of her suspected he was involved, but given her emotional attachment to him she didn't want to admit it."

"Well I wouldn't want to be in his shoes when Jordan finally confronts him,' Clark replied dryly. "She'll make what those goons did to her look like love taps."

Bruce smiled. "Jordan is certainly a force to be reckoned with when she's in a temper," he allowed.

"And you wouldn't have it any other way," Clark added.

"Life with your sister is never going to be boring, I'll grant you that."

" 'Life' as in the rest of yours?" Clark prompted.

"Subtle, aren't you, Clark? I told you at the beginning that I was in this with Jordan for the long haul and I meant it."

"I'm glad, Bruce. I know I gave you a hard time when you and Jordan first became involved, but she's obviously very happy. There's no one else I'd rather see her with."

"Thank you. So do you and Lois have a date for the wedding yet?"

"We're working on it, but as long as we're on the subject, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

"Name it."

"I would very much like for you to be my Best Man."

Surprise flickered across Bruce's face and he broke into a grin. "I would be honored to be your Best Man, Clark."

The two friends exchanged a hug just as the women returned with Jason in tow. Alfred headed into the house as the rest of the adults exchanged smiles of greeting before Clark addressed his son.

"Did you have fun with the puppies, buddy?"

Jason nodded. "Mrs. Yardley let me ride one of her dogs around the yard," he revealed.

"Considering that most of the dogs are the size of small ponies I can't say I'm surprised," Bruce said drolly.

Jordan shot him an admonishing glance as Lois addressed Clark. "We should probably get going," she said. "I don't want to run into rush hour traffic going back into the city and Richard's coming by at five to pick up Jason."

Clark nodded and turned to Bruce. "I'm going to put a call into Agent Frederick at the Bureau and see what he can come up with on Ross and Reinkin," he said. "I'll email you whatever he finds and you can compare it to what you all ready have."

"Sounds good."

He shifted his attention to Jordan. "It was good to see you, little sister. I'm glad you're doing so well."

"Likewise, Clark. And congratulations again on your engagement. I am truly delighted for both of you."

Hugs and farewells were exchanged all around before Clark piled his family into the car and they started back to Metropolis.

"So what's on your agenda for the rest of the day?" Jordan asked Bruce as they wandered back to the house.

"I have some paperwork to review at the office and a conference call with one of our European affiliates at about three o'clock, but after that I was planning on spending a quiet evening at home with you."

"Could we have dinner in the city instead?" Jordan requested. "I've been tucked away in the house for a week and I'm beginning to forget what the real world looks like."

Bruce chuckled. "I'm sure that can be arranged," he said. "Where do you want to go?"

"Any where but the harbor," Jordan answered. "I'm not fond of the ambience down there."

"I'll make a note of it."

Just as the couple entered the house, Alfred approached them and addressed Jordan.

"Excuse me, Miss Jordan, but you have a telephone call," he told her.

"Who is it?"

"He gave his name as Mark Ross."

Jordan and Bruce exchanged a surprised look as Jordan walked over to pick up the phone in the main foyer.

"Mark?"

"Hello, Jordan," Ross greeted evenly. "Thank you for taking my call."

"Is there a reason I shouldn't?" Jordan countered casually.

"Let's not play games, Jordan. I know that you saw the email."

Jordan sighed. "Why did you do it, Mark? Why did you let yourself get involved with these maniacs?"

"The world needs a wake up call, Jordan," Ross replied. "Every day thousands of animal and plant species vanish off the face of the earth forever; global warming is melting the ice caps and causing fatal heat waves and accelerated weather phenomena around the world. The atrocities mankind is committing against nature are superseded only by the ones they are committing against themselves."

"I'm as disgusted by those things are you are but that doesn't give you the right to play God and take the lives of the people who are doing the harm. Don't you know that you've essentially destroyed everything that PEACE has built over the last 15 years?"

"What have we done, Jordan, really? Nothing has changed since I started the company all those years ago. It's only gotten worse. You know that better than most. Think about all of things you've seen in the field over the last eleven years, working for PEACE and for Interpol. I'm just sorry that you got caught in the crossfire."

"I'm sorry too, because the man who hired me and mentored me over the past eleven and a half years understood the sanctity of life in all forms," Jordan responded sadly. "The man you've become, the one who is working with Reinkin and his terrorist connections to have me killed – he isn't someone I recognize."

"I don't recognize him either," Ross allowed.

"You can still do the right thing, Mark," Jordan told him. "Go to the authorities with what you know and help them apprehend Reinkin and his freaky friends before they harm anyone else. I have connections at Interpol and I will help you every way that I can."

"That you would make the offer even after everything I have done to you is a true testament to the kind of person you are," Mark replied. "I recognized the fire in your soul for animals the day we met and bringing you on board at PEACE may be the smartest thing I've ever done. I'm going to leave it all in your capable hands, Dr. Kent. Whatever direction PEACE goes in under your guidance, I know you'll do me proud."

"Mark…"

"I am truly sorry for the pain I've caused you, Jordan. I wish there had been another way."

Through the receiver, Jordan heard a small click and a moment later the unmistakable sound of a gun going off.


	9. Chapter 9

**WASHINGTON D.C.**

The day after Ross' suicide, a somber Jordan arrived in Washington aboard Bruce's private plane, still torn between anger and grief over Ross' death. Jordan had called the D.C. police following Ross' call to her and after they had sent officers over to verify his suicide, she had agreed to meet with the detectives at PEACE headquarters the following day.

Although commitments in Gotham as Bruce Wayne and Batman prevented him from accompanying Jordan himself, Bruce had been unwilling to let her make the trip unprotected. So at his request, Clark was waiting to greet his sister when she disembarked.

"Why am I not surprised to see you here?" Jordan asked.

"Did you really think Bruce and I were going to let you walk into the lion's den solo?" Clark countered.

"I suppose not."

They exchanged a hug before Clark took her bag and they made their way through the terminal to catch a cab. As they exited, however, Clark spotted a uniformed driver with a sign bearing their name standing beside a towncar tucked in the midst of the taxis.

"Looks like we won't need to worry about cab fare," he remarked and the siblings made their way over to the driver.

"Dr. Kent and Mr. Kent?" he prompted.

"Yes," Clark confirmed.

"My name is Harold and Mr. Wayne has made arrangements for me to be at your disposal during your stay here in the capitol," the driver revealed.

"Thank you, Harold," Jordan said.

"Do you want to check into your hotel first or go straight to the PEACE offices?" Clark asked.

"I think we'll be better off going to PEACE first," Jordan answered. "Once we determine who knows what, we can formulate a better plan about how to deal with it."

Clark nodded and they climbed into the car. After giving Harold instructions as to their destination, the two settled into a companionable silence for the ride to PEACE Headquarters. Upon their arrival, Jordan went to the security offices to obtain a Guest Pass for Clark and they made their way to the executive offices on the top floor. Stepping off the elevator, they discovered a small crowd of PEACE personnel and law enforcement officials hovering about.

"Dr. Kent!" a feminine voice shouted. "Over here!"

Jordan and Clark turned toward the shouter and saw Rebecca Parker – Ross' Personal Assistant – standing just outside his office.

"Friend of yours?" Clark queried.

"That's Mark's assistant," Jordan said. "I'd better acknowledge her before she creates a scene."

Jordan crossed the room with Clark on her heels and greeted Rebecca with a neutral smile.

"Hello, Becky."

"Oh, Dr. Kent, isn't awful about Mr. Ross?" Rebecca asked rhetorically. "He was such a nice man."

Jordan refrained from responding directly and instead introduced Rebecca and Clark.

"Clark, this is Rebecca Parker, Mark's personal assistant. Becky, this is my brother, Clark."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kent," Rebecca said.

"Miss Parker," Clark returned.

"I can't believe Mr. Ross killed himself," Rebecca remarked. "He seemed so happy."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Jordan muttered under her breath.

"Did you know he was actually on the telephone with somebody when he shot himself?" Becky pressed. "How awful it must have been for that person."

"Dr. Kent?" a male voice prompted from behind them.

Jordan glanced over her shoulder and saw one of the detectives standing a couple feet away. He was a plain looking man about the same age as Jordan, with blonde hair and a mustache over his upper lip.

"Yes, I'm Jordan Kent," she confirmed.

"I'm Detective Ed Hauser, D.C. Police Department. I need to ask you a few questions about Mr. Ross."

"Of course," Jordan replied and Becky excused herself as Jordan continued. "This is my brother, Clark Kent. He works for the Daily Planet in Metropolis and has been involved with the situation with Mr. Ross from the beginning. If you have no objections, I'd like him to stay while we talk."

"You can stay, Mr. Kent, but I would appreciate it if the conversation could stay off the record until we've completed our investigation," Hauser requested.

"Of course," Clark assured him.

Hauser motioned for Jordan and Clark to step into Ross' office and followed them in. Jordan cast a quick glance at the desk area and noticed the markings on the floor where Ross' body had fallen, as well as the blood stains corrupting the hardwood floor. Closing her eyes, she could still hear the recoil of the gunshot over the phone line and the muffled thump of his body hitting the floor.

"Jordan?" Clark prompted gently.

Shaking of her morbid thoughts, Jordan flashed him an apologetic smile. "Yes, sorry."

"Dr. Kent, according to the phone records, Mr. Ross was on the line with the personal residence of Bruce Wayne in Gotham City at the time of his suicide," Hauser said. Do you have any idea what they may have been discussing?"

"Actually Mark was talking with me," Jordan revealed. "Mr. Wayne and I are…friends…and I've been staying at his home while recovering from a recent third attempt on my life."

Hauser's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Third attempt on your life?" he repeated. "I wasn't aware that wildlife conservation was a life threatening occupation."

Jordan stifled an annoyed sigh and quickly explained in brief the events of the last ten weeks, including Ross' admitted involvement with the terrorists.

"Sounds like a classic case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time," Hauser said unnecessarily. "Do you have any direct proof of this Reinkin fellow's involvement?"

"We're still working on it," Jordan replied. "I've been working with Commissioner Gordon in Gotham City and Clark has been dealing with Special Agent Frederick at the Metropolis FBI."

"Do you have any idea how we might be able to get in contact with Mr. Reinkin?" Hauser asked. "We'd like to talk with him."

"I'd like to do more than talk," Clark muttered menacingly, earning him an admonishing look from Jordan.

"I'm sure Mr. Ross' assistant Rebecca can help you with that," Jordan said.

"I appreciate your help, Dr. Kent," Hauser replied. "I'll need you to stay in the area for a few days until we have all of the details of the case sorted out."

"Of course."

"Where can I reach you in case I have any more questions?"

"I'll be at the Ritz-Carlton here in D.C.," Jordan answered.

Hauser nodded and bid the siblings farewell, leaving them alone in the office. Once he was gone, Jordan made her way around the desk and glanced down at the spot where Ross had fallen.

"Such a waste," Jordan remarked. "He was a good man, Clark. He loved his family and had devoted his life to helping animals. I don't understand why he sacrificed all of that by aligning himself with terrorists."

"Everyone has free will, Jordan," Clark reminded her. "Sometimes they make bad choices and people get hurt."

"While others are fortunate enough to have an older brother or significant other to come in and snatch them from harm's way," Jordan responded lightly. "I wish we could have found a way to save Mark."

Clark placed his hands on her shoulder in a silent gesture of comfort. "Come on; let's get you settled into your hotel."

Releasing a resigned sigh, Jordan allowed Clark to lead her out of the office.

After being stopped by various colleagues while trying to exit the PEACE building, Jordan finally reached the car with Clark and instructed Harold to take them directly to the hotel. Much to Jordan's delight and Clark's amusement, Bruce had arranged for Jordan to stay in the hotel's most luxurious room, The Ritz-Carlton Suite.

"He doesn't do things halfway, does he?" Clark asked as they rode up in the elevator.

"You know Bruce," Jordan replied. "Bigger is better."

Reaching the 11th floor, Jordan and Clark followed the bellhop to the room and after opening the doors, he stepped aside to allow them entry. Walking inside, Jordan let out a low whistle.

"Now this is what I call a hotel suite," she muttered, and slowly made her way around the room as Clark crossed over to the windows to take in the view. The far portion of the room consisted of the master bedroom suite and adjoining bath, while the main room with a fireplace and dining table made up the rest. In the center of the dining room table was a large crystal vase filled with a bouquet of red roses and Jordan crossed over to pick up the small card propped against the vase as she smelled the flowers.

_Missing you all ready and keeping you in my thoughts. – Love, Bruce_

Smiling to herself, Jordan replaced the card on the table as she surveyed the rest of the room. The bellhop stashed Jordan's luggage in the bedroom and after informing her that all of the gratuities to the staff had been taken care of by Bruce in advance, left she and Clark to their own devices. Once he was gone, Jordan walked over to stand beside Clark at the window.

"See anything interesting?" she asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Clark answered.

"I'm going to take a quick shower and change into something less formal," Jordan said, referring to the black business suit and silver blouse she had worn to PEACE headquarters. "Why don't you take a discreet spin around the city just to satisfy yourself that all is well and I'll meet you in the restaurant downstairs for an early dinner?"

"I'm not comfortable leaving you alone," Clark countered.

"Clark, I'm on the 11th floor of a prestigious hotel ten minutes from the White House," Jordan pointed out. "Not even Reinkin is stupid enough to take a shot at me within spitting distance of the President."

"At this point I wouldn't put anything past him," Clark replied.

"Well it's not like you can hang out in here while I shower anyway, so you might as well do a flyby over the city and check things out," Jordon responded. "I shouldn't be more than twenty minutes, so when you get back just knock on the door and we'll go to the restaurant together."

"Fine," Clark relented. "But I will be back in exactly twenty minutes and I want you to put the chain on the door after I leave. And you're not to open the door for anyone but me."

"All right already," Jordan said in exasperation. "Just go."

Clark reluctantly allowed his sister to usher him out of the room and after waiting to make sure she chained the door, headed down the hall to find somewhere safe to change.

It was almost twenty minutes to the second when Jordan emerged from the bedroom dressed in casual clothes and running a brush through her hair. She had just opened the balcony doors for some fresh air when a knock sounded at the door.

"Right on time, Clark," she said to herself.

Crossing the room, Jordan unlocked the door and swung it open, her glib remark to Clark about punctuality dying on her lips a she found herself face to face with Reinkin.

"Franz…."

"Hello, Dr. Kent," Reinkin greeted and casually withdrew a gun from his coat. "I believe there are some things you and I need to discuss."

Jordan instinctively tried to slam the door in his face, but Reinkin quickly used his superior strength and body weight to force himself in through the door.

"Ah ah ah, Dr. Kent. None of that."

Careful to keep the gun leveled at her, Reinkin slowly strode into the room, glancing at the interior of the suite before returning his attention to Jordan.

"Obviously sleeping with a billionaire has its privileges," he said snidely.

"Spare me the commentary on my personal life, Franz," Jordan snapped. "Do you really think you can murder me in my hotel suite and get away with it?"

Franz ignored the question. "You really should have left well enough alone, Jordan," he chided. "All you had to do was stick to playing savior for the animals and keep your nose out of the rest of it. All of these attempts to kill you have been so unnecessary and poor Ross didn't have enough of a spine to face the music himself."

"At least he was man enough to admit to what he's done," Jordan retorted, casually and ever so slowly began making her way toward the patio. "You're hiding behind all of your eco-terrorists friends and letting them take the rap for you."

"Oh come now, Jordan; you're an intelligent woman. Who do you think created these eco-terrorist groups in the first place?"

"Are you telling me that Animal Avengers is your brain child?"

"I certainly can't do what I need to do in my capacity as PEACE's CFO," Reinkin pointed out. "Drastic times call for drastic measures and the people of this planet need to be stopped from destroying the world around them."

"Now you sound like Mark," Jordan replied. "He said something similar just before he killed himself."

"Yes, I heard that he called you to confess his sins," Reinkin said. "How horrible it must have been for you to be on the line when your dear friend blew his brains out the back of his head."

"Fuck you."

Reinkin chuckled. "Temper, temper Dr. Kent. Such language doesn't become such a lovely woman."

_Clark, where are you_? Jordan wondered silently. To Reinkin she said, "I'm surprised you have the guts to kill me yourself, Franz. I didn't think you had it in you."

"Well it has become glaringly apparent that if I want the job done right, I have to do it myself," Reinkin conceded. "I must say that it was most frustrating to have two of the three previous attempts thwarted by Batman and Superman. It would seem you have rather illustrious friends."

"Even superheroes can't resist a pretty face," Jordan quipped, noticing out of the corner of her eye that she was now in the patio doorway.

Reinkin chuckled. "Well yours is prettier than most I will give you that," he said. "Unfortunately it's not going to help you now. Step outside."

Jordan did as instructed as she asked. "What are you planning to do, shoot me and toss my body over the balcony?"

"Oh I don't intend to shoot you all," Reinkin replied, ushering her toward the railing. "I'll leave that to my associates. I'm just here to make sure they hit the target."

Jordan glanced behind her and after a quick scan of the adjacent buildings, she spotted a pair of snipers located on the roof of a small restaurant across the way.

"It's a pity it has to end this way, Jordan," Reinkin said. "You were truly an asset to the PEACE organization, but you just couldn't leave well enough alone."

Reinkin used his free hand to withdraw a small walkie talkie from his pocket and pressing a button, issued the order to take out Jordan. 'Fire at will when subject is in view."

The snipers immediately opened fire and Jordan ducked for cover just as a red and blue blur went streaking past the balcony toward the shooters.

"About time," Jordan muttered.

Reinkin had seen Superman speed past as well and realizing his plans were falling apart yet again, released a frustrated curse. Not bothering with the gun, he charged Jordan with an angry howl, obviously intent on knocking her over the railing. At the last minute, however, Jordan dropped into a crouch and using Reinkin's own momentum, half stood as he reached her and sent him flying over the side. Clutching her ribs, she took a moment to catch her breath as her brother settled onto the patio beside her, clutching a furious Reinkin in his grasp.

"You really should be more careful about throwing your trash over the balcony, Dr. Kent," Superman chided.

"You should have let him splatter his sorry innards all over the concrete," Jordan responded, earning her an admonishing glance from her brother.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Never better," Jordan muttered, the quiver in her tone countering the bravado of her words.

"Why don't you call the police while I keep an eye on our friend here?" Superman suggested.

Jordan nodded and headed back into the suite.

Some time later, Hauser and a group of uniformed officers had come and gone, taking Reinkin and the snipers into custody and getting statements from Jordan and Superman. After ensuring that there was no further danger to Jordan, Clark had briefly disappeared to change before returning to the suite. He knocked on the door to announce his presence and at Jordan's invitation to enter, walked into the room and found her on the phone with Bruce.

"So when he charged me I dropped into a crouch position and waited until he was basically on top of me before standing up and using his own momentum to send him sailing over the railing," Jordan finished.

"I'm assuming that he didn't actually make a crash landing," Bruce replied.

"No; unfortunately Superman had to save him as well."

"I understand you have reason to hate the man for what he did, Jordan, and I'm right there with you. But you're not a murderer. And neither is Clark."

"I know," Jordan relented.

"Have the police given you any indication of how much longer you need to stay in the city?"

"I'll probably need to be here for about a week," Jordan told him. "The police may still need me to clarify a few things, plus I have to meet with what's left of the Board of Directors to try and figure out what we're going to do with PEACE and Mark's funeral is the day after tomorrow."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Bruce offered.

"Thank you, but this is something I need to deal with on my own," Jordan responded. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too. Is Clark there with you?"

"Yes, he is. Hold on." Jordan extended the phone to Clark. "Bruce wants to talk with you."

Clark took the receiver from his sister. "Hi, Bruce."

"Sounds like you've been having an interesting time in our nation's capitol," Bruce said dryly.

"There's never a dull moment with Jordan around," Clark countered, "but at least we know now that she's safe."

"Actually I wanted to talk with you about that before Jordan gets home," Bruce replied. "Do you think you could stop by the house on your way back to Metropolis?"

"Sure. I'll be staying here another day or so to make sure that none of Reinkin's friends show up to finish what he started, but after that I can make a detour on the way home."

"I would appreciate it."

"I'll put Jordan back on."

Clark returned the receiver to Jordan.

"If you're done comparing notes with Clark about how difficult it is to watch over me, I'd really like to go down to dinner," Jordan said.

"Nothing like a brush with death to stimulate your appetite," Bruce teased.

"I just want to celebrate that I managed to get through today's little ordeal without breaking any more of my bones like used toothpicks," Jordan countered wryly.

"That is indeed something worth celebrating," Bruce demurred. "I'll call you in the morning before I go to the office."

"I'll look forward to it. I love you."

"I love you too, and I am very glad that you are all right."

"Good night. Bruce."

"Good night, Jordan."


	10. Chapter 10

**GOTHAM CITY**

With Jordan in Washington under Clark's watchful eye, Bruce decided to follow through on his end by ensuring that there were no more of Reinkin's hired assassins lurking about the city. They would have no way of knowing that Jordan was out of the city or that she and Superman had apprehended Reinkin, so he needed to make certain that any potential danger to Jordan was eliminated prior to her return.

Through various sources he had learned that another pair of guns for hire were due to arrive in Gotham that night, having been given instructions to arrive forty-eight hours after the first team unless Reinkin cancelled. A search of the lower end motels had revealed that they would be staying near the docks, no more than a couple of blocks from where Jordan had been taken after being kidnapped.

After briefing Alfred on his plan and suiting up, he slid into the Batmobile and headed out into the night. Careful to take back roads and alleys to avoid being seen, he arrived at the motel shortly before 9:00 PM. Retrieving a small recording device from a storage compartment next to the onboard computer, Batman input a brief command and tucked it into his utility belt as he put the car on Stealth mode and made his way toward the motel.

As luck would have it, the only other room in use was occupied by a couple too involved in their extracurricular activities to notice the large shadowy figure lurking outside the room. The would be assassins were in the last room of the row, seated around a small table in the center of the room as they sorted out various weapons.

_Looks like they came to play_, Batman observed silently.

He reached down to his utility belt and removed the recording device, carefully placing it against the window to capture on tape what was being said inside.

"I still say this is a waste of time," one assassin replied, a young man no more than 25 with nondescript features and black hair. "For all we know Alpha Team has already taken out the target and we aren't even supposed to be here."

"Reinkin was going to call us off if Alpha Team completed the mission," responded the second assassin, a man of about 40 who appeared to be of Latin descent. "Since we haven't heard from him, our orders were to proceed as scheduled. Besides I want to actually get paid for this gig and we won't see any cash until we bring the body to Reinkin."

"Seems like an awful lot of trouble to eliminate one woman," the younger man muttered. "What did this Kent chick do to piss of Reinkin so badly anyway?"

"I get paid to follow orders, not question them," the Latino man retorted. "I don't care if she questioned his manhood or ran over his grandmother's dog. It's worth half a million bucks to him to see her dead."

_Only half a million?_ Batman thought idly. _Jordan will be disappointed_.

The assassins' casual conversation had unwittingly provided Batman with the information he required and he carefully replaced the recorder into his utility belt. Surveying the set-up of the motel, he considered his entry options for a moment before deciding the simplest thing to do would be to get the assassins to let him in. Climbing up to the roof, he reached into his belt and pulled out a batarang, which he flung at such an angle that its return trajectory sent it crashing through the window. Inside the room he could hear the exclamations of surprise from the men and a moment later they burst outside, each brandishing a large gun. Shifting position, Batman wordlessly dropped from the roof onto the Latino assassin, knocking him to the ground and dislodging the gun out of his grasp. He then immediately spun around and sent a mini-batarang flying toward the younger man to knock his gun from his hand.

"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed. "Batman!"

He started to turn on his heel and run back into the room, but Batman unclipped a small device from his belt and sent a metal rope hurling toward the younger man to wrap itself around him. Beneath him, the Latino man wasn't giving up without a fight and he took advantage of Batman's distraction to suddenly buck like a horse and temporarily dislodge him from his back. Jumping to his feet, he braced himself into a defensive position and motioned for Batman to take the first shot.

"You don't want to play this game friend," Batman said evenly. "Not with me."

The assassin promptly responded with a profanity in his native tongue and attempted to strike his opponent with a kick to the head. Batman grabbed the man's leg when it was an inch from his face and held the man still as he lashed out with his other arm to strike him in the face. The man let out another curse as his now broken nose began to stream blood down his face and Batman released his leg. Undaunted, the man lifted his arm and wiped away some of the blood before suddenly rushing forward to throw a punch. Again, Batman blocked the blow when it was an inch or so from making contact and head butted him against his injured nose as he used one leg to knock the man's legs out from under him.

"Game's over," Batman declared. "You lose."

After tying the Latino man up with the same metal rope encasing his partner, Batman dragged them into the room and propped them against the bed. Gathering the weapons, he placed them in a pile next to the door and set his recording device on top of the table. Satisfied that the weapons and the prisoners were secure, Batman left the room and locked the men inside before returning to the Batmobile. Pressing a pair of buttons on the dash, the speaker phone rang through to Gordon's office.

"Jim Gordon."

"Good evening, Commissioner."

"Batman….what can I do for you?"

"I've left another gift for you at the Happy Days Motel by the Wharf. Room 13."

"Any connection to the gift you gave me last week?" Gordon prompted.

"Same manufacturer," Batman allowed. "I'll provide you with a recording confirming their involvement once they're in police custody."

"All right; I'm on it. Thanks, Batman."

"My pleasure."

Disconnecting the call, Batman remained where he was until Gordon and some uniformed officers arrived. He watched as the men and all the weapons were taken into custody and waited until the police were gone before staring the car and heading for home.

**WAYNE MANOR**

Two days later, Bruce was down in the Bat Cave working at the computer when Alfred called him on the picture phone.

"Excuse the interruption, Master Bruce, but Mister Kent is here to see you," he said.

"Thank you, Alfred. I'll be right up."

Saving his work on the computer, Bruce made his way up the elevator and through the house, where Clark was waiting in the main foyer.

"Hello, Clark," he greeted. "Thanks for coming."

"Not a problem. I have to admit I'm curious as to why you needed to speak with me without Jordan around. I thought you two had dispensed with the secrets between you."

"I'm not trying to hide anything from her, Clark. I just wanted to broach the subject with you before I presented it to Jordan."

"Fair enough."

Bruce released a nervous sigh and got straight to the point. "I love Jordan; you know that. She has brought joy and sunlight into all of the dark corners of my life and I can't imagine not needing her 50 years from now as much as I do today. So with your blessing, and your mother's, I intend to ask Jordan to marry me."

Surprise flickered across Clark's face. "You're going to propose to Jordan?" he asked rhetorically. "Wow. I mean, I think it's great, but I just never pictured Bruce Wayne as marriage material."

"To be honest neither did I," Bruce allowed. "Partly by choice and partly by necessity, I've been forced to present a facade to the rest of the world about who I am. But Jordan saw past the obvious and had the strength and the courage to discover who I really am. It's not just about me being Batman; it's about accepting all of the demons – real and emotional – that come with being part of my life. She balances me, Clark. She completes me. I want to honor that by making her my wife."

Clark remained silent for a moment before responding. "Well I certainly can't speak for my mother, but personally I think that you would be a welcome addition to the family," he replied. "There is no one else I would rather have as my brother-in-law."

"I have your blessing then?"

"Absolutely."

"Thank you."

The two friends exchanged a hug.

"So when do you plan on popping the question?" Clark asked.

"Well I don't want to take anything away from you and Lois," Bruce began, "because I know you're planning on announcing your engagement over Christmas. But Jordan has asked me to go with her to Montana, so I thought I could kill two birds with one stone and assuming your mother gives me her blessing, I can propose while we're there."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Clark replied. "I do, however, have one piece of advice."

"Which is?"

"Jordan being Jordan, it's not going to be about how big the diamond is in her engagement ring," Clark clarified. "Granted, she is a woman and they always want a ring. But for my baby sister it's all about the size of the dog that the 'engagement puppy' will grow into."

Bruce smiled. "Jordan actually mentioned something like that a while ago," he revealed. "At the time I wasn't entirely certain she was serious."

"Trust me; she was serious."

"All right then; a ring and a puppy it is."

**WAYNE TOWER**

The fifth day after leaving for Washington, Jordan had called Bruce to let him know she would be returning to Gotham City that afternoon. He intended to leave work early and surprise her at the airport, but just as he was preparing to head out, Lucius Fox poked his head into Bruce's office.

"Do you have a moment, Mister Wayne?" he asked.

"Not really, Lucius," Bruce answered. "I'm on my way to meet Jordan at the airport. Can it wait?"

"Actually it involves Dr. Kent," Fox revealed. "Well, it's regarding PEACE to be specific."

"Please tell me there isn't any more trouble with the terrorists."

"No," Fox assured him quickly and walked over to hand him a printout from his computer. "Elliott Webster forwarded this article to me and asked me to present it to you. After the fiasco involving Ross and Reinkin, PEACE's Board of Directors has apparently decided to turn the company over to corporate management."

"Jordan mentioned that the other day," Bruce said. "She indicated that it was their hope that by melding the company with an existing corporation it would reassure the donors and the public that they intend to increase their accountability while continuing their conservation work."

"Precisely. Elliott caught wind of that information and has asked me to suggest to you that PEACE be incorporated into Wayne Enterprises as the new conservation division."

"An interesting idea," Bruce allowed. "I wonder why Jordan didn't come up with it."

"Apparently she did," Fox told him. "Elliott didn't come right out and admit it, but I got the impression that she wanted it go through him rather than directly to you to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest."

"You have to appreciate a woman who's worried about my reputation, Lucius," Bruce said drolly.

"Indeed, sir."

"What do you think of the idea?"

"I like it," Fox said. "Merging an existing company into our own will save a lot of time and money trying to build the department from scratch. Not to mention that it all ready comes fully staffed with a variety of experts on ecology and conservation."

"Very true. Does Elliott want to run it himself?"

"No. He strongly recommended that 'we' – presumably meaning you – convince Dr. Kent to accept a position as the Division Director."

"Very gallant of him, but Jordan won't give up her field work. Hands on experience directly with the animals is what drives her."

Fox shrugged. "I'm just the messenger, Mister Wayne," he demurred. "The ultimate decision is yours, but I agree with Elliott's proposal and his recommendation regarding Dr. Kent."

Bruce nodded. "All right, Lucius. I trust your judgment. I'll review this on the way to the airport and discuss it with Jordan. Hopefully I'll have an answer for you – and our friend Elliott – in a couple of days."

"Thank you, sir. Please give my best to Dr. Kent."

"Consider it done."


	11. Chapter 11

By the time Jordan had stashed her laptop into its carrying case and grabbed her purse to disembark the plane, Bruce was all ready waiting a few feet away from the staircase leading out of the plane.

"Hello, stranger," he greeted.

"Hello yourself," Jordan returned as she walked over to where he stood. "This is a nice surprise."

"I'm just here to make sure you took good care of my plane," Bruce deadpanned.

"Does that mean I don't get a hug?" Jordan prompted.

"Oh I can do better than that."

Bruce lifted his hands to cup her face and pulled her to him for a warm kiss. "Welcome home, Princess."

"Thank you. It's good to be back."

Bruce took her computer case from her and slid his other arm around her waist as they started for the car. "How did you do in D.C.?" he asked.

"About as well as could be expected," Jordan answered wearily. "Mark's funeral was overshadowed by all of the issues swirling around his suicide and Reinkin's arrest. The PEACE personnel are all atwitter wondering what's going to happen to the company."

"Funny you should mention that," Bruce said. "Lucius came to see me just as I was leaving to come here and he showed me the proposal you sent to Elliott Webster. I read it on the way over."

"I hope you're not upset that I didn't present it to you directly," Jordan replied. "I just didn't want to raise any eyebrows due to the fact that you and I are involved."

"Frankly I find it amusing that you're worried about appearances at this point," Bruce countered dryly, "but I do understand the protocol behind going through Webster."

They reached the car then and the flight staff relinquished Jordan's luggage to Alfred, who greeted Jordan with a friendly smile.

"Welcome back to the asylum, Miss Jordan," he quipped.

"Thank you, Alfred. Were you able to handle Bruce by yourself while I was gone?"

"Mister Wayne was no trouble at all," Alfred assured her. "The poor boy was too busy pining away for you to get himself into any mischief."

The mental image of Bruce 'pining away' in her absence wrung a laugh from Jordan. "I appreciate the thought, Alfred," she allowed.

Bruce helped her into the car before wandering around and climbing in on the other side and a moment later Alfred was en route to Wayne Manor.

"So what do you think of the idea of merging PEACE into Wayne Enterprises' new conservation division?" Jordan pressed.

"I think it's an excellent idea," Bruce responded. "I am curious, though, as to what role you intend to play in the new company."

"I don't intend to do much of anything beyond an advisory capacity," Jordan told him. "I don't know the first thing about running a company and I want to be hands on with the animals."

"Isn't that how you got yourself into all of this trouble in the first place?" Bruce countered wryly.

"Partially, which is why I resigned from Interpol while I was in Washington," Jordan revealed. "I'm going to leave the 'spy work' to the real spies and concentrate on working with the animals."

"You won't hear any argument from me."

"I would also like to find a way to spend more time stateside," Jordan continued. "As much as I love traveling and being out in the field, my little trip to D.C. made it clear that I won't do well being separated from you for very long."

"May I take that to mean you did some 'pining' of your own while you were away?"

"Most definitely."

Bruce smiled. "Well it will take a few weeks to get all of the red tape sorted out for the merger, so in the meantime we can figure out a way for you to keep doing what you love closer to home."

"Sounds good to me."

**HARDIN, MONTANA – THREE WEEKS LATER**

By prior arrangement, Bruce was going to accompany Jordan to Montana a day earlier than Jason, Lois and Clark were scheduled to arrive. He wanted the extra time to meet with Martha and obtain her blessing so he could propose to Jordan. As their rental car pulled onto the dirt driveway, Jordan and Bruce saw Ben and Martha step onto the porch as the ever exuberant Shelby bounded to the car.

"Your kind of welcoming committee," Bruce remarked.

Jordan ignored him as she stepped out of the car and knelt down to envelope Shelby in a hug while he washed her face with his tongue.

"Hey, Shelby. How are you doing, old man?"

After giving Shelby a final pat, Jordan rose to her feet just as Martha and Ben approached.

"Hi, Mom," she greeted.

"Oh, sweetheart, I have been so worried about you!" Martha declared and the two women exchanged a hearty hug.

"Hello, Ben," Jordan greeted as she released her mother. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Jordan," Ben returned.

"You must be Bruce," Martha said and glanced at Jordan. "I like the looks of this one."

Jordan smiled but said nothing as Bruce extended a hand to Martha. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Harper," he said. "Jordan speaks very highly of you."

"I could say the same about you," Martha returned. "Now how about you drop this 'Mrs. Harper' business and call me Martha. And give this old lady a hug."

Bruce shot Jordan an amused smile as he bent over to exchange a hug with Martha, who introduced him to Ben before addressing Jordan.

"Is your brother still bringing Lois and Jason?" she asked.

Jordan nodded. "They'll be here tomorrow."

"I'm going to have both my babies home for Christmas," Martha replied. "The Good Lord is shining on me this year."

Ben looked at Bruce and gestured toward the rental car. "Why don't we let the ladies catch up while we take care of the luggage?" he suggested.

"Of course."

They retrieved the luggage from the trunk as Martha and Jordan headed toward the house. "How are you liking Gotham, sweetheart?" Martha asked Jordan. "Have you had any run-ins with that Batman fellow?"

"I'll tell you about it over lunch, Mom."

That evening, the foursome had enjoyed a hearty meal of Martha's homemade meatloaf accompanied by homegrown vegetables and fresh apple pie. After dinner, Jordan volunteered to do the dishes while Ben retreated upstairs to work on some bills and Martha and Bruce stepped outside onto the front porch for some fresh air.

"Its beautiful country out here," Bruce remarked.

"Yes it is," Martha agreed. "Quite a difference from the night life you're used to I imagine."

Bruce smiled at her casual remark. _You have no idea_, he mused silently. Out loud he said, "Life in Gotham does seem to always move at high speed."

"It seems to agree with Jordan," Martha replied. "Of course, that could just be the company she's keeping there."

"I hope so," Bruce demurred and decided to take advantage of their solitude to address the issue weighing on his heart. "I love her very much, Martha. She has enriched my life in every way imaginable and has given me a sense of peace I feared I could never have."

Martha gave him a warm smile. "I am so happy to hear that, Bruce," she responded. "Jordan has always thought with her heart first and her head second, which has certainly brought all of us who love her our share of interesting experiences. But she obviously adores you and it warms my heart to see her so happy."

"I'm glad you feel that way, because with your blessing I plan on asking Jordan to marry me."

Delighted surprise registered on Martha's face and her smile widened. "Oh that's wonderful!" she declared. "Of course you have my blessing."

"Thank you."

Jordan chose that moment to make her appearance, poking her head outside the door as she said, "Kitchen's all cleaned up. Do either of you want some coffee?"

"No thank you, sweetheart," Martha declined. "I think I'm going to turn in."

"Okay. Sweet dreams, Mom."

"You too, Jordan. Good night, Bruce."

"Good night, Martha."

Martha headed inside as Jordan stepped outside to stand next to Bruce, linking her arm through his as she took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air.

"I could get used to this," she said. "No corporate issues to deal with; no terrorists lurking around every corner."

"No, just grizzly bears and mountain lions," Bruce countered dryly.

"My point exactly."

Bruce smiled. "Feel like taking your chances with a short walk?"

"Sure. Let me grab a coat."

Jordan reentered the house and a few moments later returned wearing a fleece lined coat. Returning to Bruce's side, she again linked her arm through his as she said in a feigned British accent, "Lead on, good sir."

"You've been spending too much time with Alfred," Bruce responded as they started their walk.

"Pot, kettle and black, Mister Wayne," Jordan retorted lightly.

"Touché."

Jordan rested her head against his shoulder and they walked in companionable silence for several minutes before Bruce spoke again.

"Do you remember the conversation we had the day you returned from Washington?" he asked. "You mentioned that you wanted to find a way to continue your work stateside so we could be together."

"Yes I did, and yes I do."

"Well I'd like to give you a little extra incentive," Bruce replied and stopped in his tracks as he turned to face her. Reaching into his shirt pocket, he lowered himself onto one knee as he withdrew a diamond and sapphire engagement ring and slid it onto Jordan's left hand. "I love you, Jordan Alexandra Kent, and I want to spend the rest of our lives showing you how much. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Jordan's eyes were glistening with unshed tears as she met his gaze, astonishment etched into her expression. "Bruce…I love you too…but are you sure?" she prompted.

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life," Bruce declared firmly. "Having you in my life and being able to share every part of it with you has brought me more joy than I ever thought I could have."

"I don't know what to say," Jordan stammered, wiping away a stray tear trickling down her cheek.

"You could start with 'Yes, Bruce, I'll marry you'," came the wry response.

She flashed him an adoring smile. "Yes, Bruce, I'll marry you," she repeated and he rose to his feet to pull her into his embrace.


	12. Chapter 12

Early the following afternoon, Jordan and Bruce were seated on the front porch sipping lemonade as they watched Shelby run to and fro after the squirrels and chipmunks foraging in the front yard. Ben and Martha had gone down the road to visit with their neighbors, giving the newly engaged couple some time alone.

"Shelby's going to give himself a heart attack trying to catch those critters," Bruce remarked.

"I don't think he'd know what to do with it if he actually caught one," Jordan said. "Mom says he was scared of the chickens on the farm back in Smallville."

"I've heard of a 'scaredy cat' but never a scaredy dog'," Bruce said dryly.

"Be nice."

"So any idea when you want to get married?"

"I was thinking the first day of Spring would be a good date," Jordan answered. "It's the season of new life, which would certainly be an appropriate time to start our new life together."

"I agree. Any objection to having the ceremony at the house?"

"I'd like that. Would you have any objection to having a religious officiator?"

"As long as we don't have to say Mass as part of the vows," Bruce quipped, earning him a playful slap.

The couple's banter was interrupted by Shelby who suddenly burst into a cacophony of barking and charged down the dirt driveway. Jordan and Bruce glanced up to see the rental car carrying Clark, Lois and Jason pull in, and standing up, made their way down the short road to greet them.

"Merry Christmas, guys," Jordan greeted.

"Merry Christmas, Jordan, Bruce," Lois returned.

"Merry Christmas, Little Sister," Clark added and glanced at Bruce. "So do we have a yes?"

"Yes we have a yes."

"You knew he was going to propose?" Jordan prompted.

"Why do you think he asked me to stop by Wayne Manor while you were in Washington?" Clark responded. "He certainly couldn't ask for my blessing with you around."

"Very sneaky, Mr. Wayne," Jordan chided. "But very sweet."

"I'm glad you approve."

Hugs were exchanged all around and Jason immediately began to play with Shelby as Clark addressed his sister.

"Where's Mom?" he inquired.

"She and Ben are down the road visiting some friends," Jordan told him. "I think she wants to send out a Public Service Announcement that both of her children have come home for Christmas."

"If she's that excited just having us here, I can only imagine how she's going to react when she finds out Lois and I are engaged."

"You and Lois are engaged?" Martha asked from behind him.

"Oops," Clark said, and turned around to see Martha and Ben standing a couple of feet behind him. "Hi, Ben. Hi,Mom."

"Don't 'hi Mom' me; answer my question. Are you and Lois engaged?"

Clark exchanged a sheepish look with Lois before responding. "Well this isn't exactly how we planned to tell you, but yes. Lois and I are getting married."

"Oh, honey, that is wonderful news!"

Martha quickly enveloped him in a hug, followed by Lois, just as Jason walked over with Shelby in tow.

"Hi Grandma," he greeted. "Can I have some cookies?"

The adults shared a chuckle just as a UPS delivery truck came to a halt at the end of the drive. Clutching his inventory pad, the driver stepped out and approached the group with a friendly smile.

"Merry Christmas folks," he greeted cheerily. "I'm looking for a Dr. Jordan Kent."

"That's me," Jordan said.

"If I could get your signature please, Ma'am," the driver requested.

Jordan quickly provided him with her electronic signature as he glanced at Clark and Bruce. "Could I enlist one of you gentleman to help me with the crate?" he requested.

"I'll help," Clark offered and followed the delivery man over to the truck as Martha addressed Jordan.

"Crate?" she repeated. "What in the world did you order, Jordan?"

"I didn't order anything," Jordan protested.

"Maybe Santa Claus felt that with everything you've been through in the last few months you deserved to get one of your gifts a day early," Bruce interjected casually.

Jordan gave him a knowing look. "What did you do?" she demanded.

Bruce smiled but said nothing as Clark and the delivery man set the crate on the ground in front of Jordan. Bidding everyone farewell, the driver climbed back into his truck and headed down the road as Jordan walked over to the crate. It was a rather large wooden box about four feet high and equally wide and near the top a series of holes went all the way around. Cautiously lifting the lid, Jordan peered inside and let out a surprised gasp.

"Oh my goodness….hello there, little fellow."

Reaching into the crate with both hands, Jordan gently picked up the occupant: a solid black Great Dane puppy with a large red bow around his neck.

"Hello, handsome," Jordan said, and gave the puppy a light kiss on his head.

"You did say it was the size of the dog that matters," Bruce reminded her.

"I love you," Jordan said simply and walked over to give him a warm kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Princess."

Removing the ribbon from the puppy's neck. Jordan placed him on the ground and Shelby instantly came over to inspect him. After much sniffing, the two canines suddenly took off together after a nearby squirrel, followed closely by Jason.

"I can't believe you remembered that I wanted an engagement puppy," Jordan replied.

"Well I can't take all the credit," Bruce confessed. "After I told Clark about my plan to propose, he reminded me that you preferred a large dog to a large diamond."

"I am perfectly happy with the size of both," Jordan declared.

"What are you going to call him, Jordan?" Lois asked.

Jordan smiled. "In honor of the two most important men in my life, I'm going to call him Hero."

Bruce and Clark exchanged a smile.

**METROPOLIS**

The day of Lois and Clark's wedding was thankfully crisis free, allowing Clark to enjoy the most important day of his life. In keeping with tradition, the bride and groom had spent the night before their wedding apart, with Lois and Jason remaining at home while Clark stayed at the hotel where Martha, Ben, Jordan and Bruce were also staying. After enjoying an early breakfast together, the group had parted company to prepare for the ceremony. Jordan had gone over to Lois' house to help her and Jason get ready, while Ben and Martha had volunteered to go to the church to ensure everything there was going smoothly. So it was only Bruce who remained with a nervous Clark, trying to calm his friend's nerves.

"Clark, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet if you don't stop pacing," he chided.

"Mock me all you want but we'll see how calm you are next month when it's your turn," Clark countered.

"What are you so anxious about? You are marrying the woman you love and the mother of your child. This should be the best day of your life."

"What if something happens during the ceremony?" Clark protested. "What if someone needs my help and I have to leave in the middle of the vows?"

"The world kept spinning for the five years you were gone, Clark," Bruce pointed out. "I don't think it's suddenly going to fall apart because you've taken the day off to get married."

"You're right. I just want everything to go perfectly."

"As long as you say 'I do' at the right time, it will."

There was a knock at the door and at Clark's invitation to enter, Alfred stepped into the room.

"I have the car downstairs if you gentlemen are ready to go," he said.

Bruce glanced at Clark. "Well my friend, let's go get you hitched."

**HOLY TRINITY CHURCH**

Fully dressed and awaiting the arrival of Clark and Bruce, Jordan and Lois were in the waiting area of the church, with Jordan attempting to soothe Lois' own anxiety.

"He's not coming," Lois muttered. "Something's happened, he had to change and go rescue somebody somewhere, and he's not coming."

"He's coming, Lois," Jordan assured her. "We're ahead of schedule, remember? I have no doubt that Bruce and Alfred will get Clark to the church on time."

Lois sighed. "I know I'm being neurotic," she said by way of apology. "It's just that I have waited for this day for so long and I don't want anything to interfere with my wedding."

"I promise you that this day is going to be as perfect as you and Clark want it to be," Jordan replied.

A knock sounded at the door and after Lois bade her visitor enter, Martha stepped into the room.

"Oh Lois, you look lovely," she declared.

"Thank you, Martha," Lois responded with a grateful smile.

"I just spoke with Father O'Reilly and he said that everyone is here, including Clark and Bruce," Martha revealed. "We can start as soon as you're ready."

Jordan turned to Lois. "Shall we get you married, Miss Lane?" she prompted.

"Please do, Dr. Kent," Lois returned.

**.**

Lois and Clark had wanted a small ceremony, with only family and close friends present. Therefore outside of the priest, Clark's family and Bruce Wayne, the only guests were Perry White and Jimmy Olsen. As soon as the music started, all eyes turned toward the entryway to the church sanctuary. Jordan entered first, wearing a lavender colored sleeveless silk dress, and she exchanged a loving smile with Bruce as she took her place across from the men. The wedding march started then, and Clark felt his heart swell in his chest as Jason escorted his mother down the aisle. She wore an off-white gown of lace and satin with long sleeves and a fitted bodice. Her dark hair was loose about her face and a matching veil rested atop her head. Looking very pleased with himself and attired in a smaller version of his father's tuxedo, Jason smiled broadly as he relinquished Lois to Clark and the couple exchanged a tender smile with their son before shifting their attention to the priest.

"Dear friends, we are gathered here today to witness the joining in marriage of Lois and Clark…"

The priest's voice was steady as he went through the standard ceremony and his smile widened as he instructed the couple to say their vows. Lois was first, her voice shaky and her eyes welling with tears as she spoke.

"I, Lois, take you Clark, to be my husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

Lois used one hand to wipe a tear from her cheek as Clark repeated the vow, his own voice quavering and eyes wet with unshed tears.

"I, Clark, take you Lois to be my wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

The priest instructed Jason to hand the rings to Jordan and Bruce before leading Clark and Lois through the exchange and completing the ceremony.

"…What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. By the power vested in me by the laws of the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Clark lifted his hands to gently cup Lois' face and lowered his head to kiss her as everyone cheered and applauded.


	13. Chapter 13

**WAYNE MANOR**

Two days before her wedding, Jordan was in her home office reviewing a report from Elliott Webster. In a dog bed near the door, the ever growing Hero was sleeping soundly as he dreamed of whatever dogs dream of. After inputting some notes, Jordan emailed the report back to Webster and shut off her computer just as Bruce walked into the room.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked.

"Not at all," Jordan answered. "I just took care of the last bit of PEACE business I have to deal with until after the wedding."

Bruce glanced at Hero. "I thought it was cats that slept all day," he remarked.

"I wore him out this morning when I let him follow along while I went riding," Jordan said.

"At the rate he's growing you'll be able to ride him pretty soon," Bruce quipped.

"Did you come in here just to torment Hero or is there something I can do for you?"

"I came to see if you were up for a short drive," Bruce replied. "There's something I want to show you."

"I will follow wherever you want to take me, Handsome."

Bruce smiled and she linked her arm through his as they left the room.

They took one of Bruce's personal cars and rode in companionable silence for about twenty minutes until Bruce came to a halt in front of a cemetery on the outskirts of Gotham. A very light rain began to fall as they climbed out of the car and Jordan walked around to stand beside Bruce.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"I want you to meet my parents," came Bruce's reply.

Taking her hand in his, Bruce led Jordan through the cemetery in silence, a gesture of respect for the souls buried under their feet. It took several minutes to navigate amongst the graves, but Bruce at last came to a stop in front of a large marble headstone bearing his parents names.

**WAYNE**

**Thomas and Martha**

"Hello, Mother, Dad," Bruce began, his expression and tone somber as he addressed his dead parents. "I know I haven't been here for a while, but I have someone with me I want you to meet."

He gently pulled Jordan over to stand beside him as he continued.

"This beautiful woman beside me is Jordan Kent, and in two days she will become my wife. I brought her here today because it was important that you meet her and know how important she is to me." He paused then to give Jordan's hand a gentle squeeze. "Jordan has touched my life in a way I never expected and has filled my heart with love and light. I only wish that the two of you were here to share in our joy."

He paused then, and Jordan asked softly, "Do you mind if I say something?"

Surprised and touched that she would want to, Bruce simply said "No."

Jordan gave him a small smile before turning her attention to the gravesite and knelt down in front of the large marble headstone. "Hello Thomas, Martha. I hope somehow you can hear me because it's important to me that I know you're listening. As Bruce told you, my name is Jordan and he and I will be getting married in a couple of days Ours was an unconventional courtship to say the least and it happened so fast and so unexpectedly that it scared me at first. But with a little time and a lot of love from Bruce, I was able to trust what we felt for each other." She paused then to flash Bruce an affectionate smile before going on. "I wish you could be here to see what an extraordinary man he has become. He is strong and honorable, gentle and kind, and intelligent. I love him very much and I promise you that he will wake up every day for the rest of his life knowing that he is loved. Thank you for the gift of your son."

Rising to her feet, she wiped away the tears streaming down her face and wordlessly enveloped Bruce in a hug.

"Thank you for sharing them with me," she said shakily.

"You're welcome."

"I'll wait in the car while you finish here," Jordan replied. "Take as much time as you need."

Bruce gave her a gentle kiss and Jordan wandered back to the car as he knelt down to again address his parents.

"Well, that was Jordan. I'm sure you can understand why I love her as I do. I think you would have liked her. Ever the romantic, Alfred says that she is my soulmate. I'm beginning to believe that he's right."

He paused a final time, gathering his thoughts before he finished his soliloquy.

"I never really had the chance to know either of you and I have no way of knowing how my life would have turned out if I had been raised under your guidance. I regret that other people's greed cost me the opportunity to befriend my parents. But the past cannot be undone, and it has made me the man I am today. Everything that I have accomplished is a result of that tragic night, so perhaps something good came of it after all. Maybe someday when I leave this life, I'll get the chance to see you both again. Until then, I hope you know that I am happy, and safe, and loved. Rest in peace, Mother and Dad."

Finishing his remarks, Bruce bowed his head for a moment and said a silent prayer before rising to his feet. Casting a final glance at the headstone, Bruce exited the cemetery.

The morning of Bruce and Jordan's wedding and the first day of Spring dawned bright and beautiful, as if Mother Nature herself were granting her approval of the ceremony taking place on the day. As with Lois and Clark, Jordan and Bruce had opted for a small, intimate ceremony. Other than Alfred and Jordan's family, all of whom were staying at Wayne Manor, the only guest that would be attending was Lucius Fox. A formal public reception would be held that evening, also at Wayne Manor.

As the caterers finished setting up for the 150 plus guests that would be arriving that evening, Alfred made sure that the bride and groom remained separated as the time for the ceremony approached. Entering the master bedroom, he found a nervous Bruce fidgeting with his attire as Clark watched in patient silence.

"How do I look, Clark?" he pressed. "Is my tie straight?"

"You look fine, Bruce," Clark assured him

Bruce glanced expectantly at Alfred. "Alfred?"

Alfred hesitated for the briefest of moments before replying, "Master Clark is correct, sir. You look very handsome."

Bruce shot him a knowing look. "That's not what you were going to say."

Alfred smiled. "I was merely going to tell you how much you look like your mother. She and your father would have been as proud of you today as I am."

Bruce flashed his friend a loving smile. "Thank you, Alfred."

Alfred glanced at Clark. "If you would be so kind as to accompany the groom downstairs, I am going to check on the bride," he said. "Please ensure he stays away from her until the ceremony starts."

"I won't let him out of my sight, Alfred," Clark replied.

Leaving Bruce in Clark's capable hands, Alfred made his way downstairs to check on Jordan. He could hear Martha and Lois talking as he approached the guest room where Jordan was ensconced.

"You look beautiful, Jordan," Lois said.

"You are a stunning bride, sweetheart," Martha added. "Your father would be so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom. I hope so."

Although the door was slightly ajar, Alfred knocked just to be safe and walked inside. He stopped short at the sight of Jordan and gave her a warm smile.

"You are truly a vision of loveliness, Miss Jordan," he declared.

"Thank you, Alfred," Jordan responded, returning his smile as Lois handed her the bridal bouquet.

"The priest and Mr. Fox are here," he told her, "and I believe Master Bruce is going to spontaneously combust if we don't get this show on the road."

Jordan nodded and turned to Lois and Martha. "Would you mind going ahead and telling everyone we can get started?" she requested. "I'd like a moment alone with Alfred."

"Of course," Lois agreed.

She and Martha excused themselves and left the room, leaving Jordan alone with Alfred.

"If you've decided not to go through with the ceremony after all and are going to enlist me to help you make an escape, I'm afraid I must decline," Alfred said dryly. "I value my life far too much to risk losing it at Master Bruce's hands on such a foolhardy endeavor."

Jordan chuckled. "Not to worry, Alfred; I'm not going anywhere."

"In that case, how may I be of service?"

"I wanted to say thank you, for being you and for your part in making this day happen," Jordan replied and reaching behind her, took a small envelope off the dresser and handed it to Alfred. "I wrote this for you this morning, because I knew if I tried to tell you how I felt I'd start crying and ruin my make-up."

"Well we can't have that," Alfred said. "Would you like me to read this now?"

"Please."

Opening the envelope, Alfred took out the small handwritten note.

_My Dearest Alfred - _

_You are the closest thing I will have to a father-in-law, so I wanted to take a moment and tell you how much you have come to mean to me. I know how deeply Bruce cares for you and how important your opinion is to him. If at any time, you had indicated to him by word or deed that you felt I wasn't right for him, this day would not have come to pass. But from the moment we met you have been warm and gracious and charming, and you welcomed me into this house and Bruce's life with open arms. The respect and affection you have shown me has meant more than you know, and I promise to_ _do my best to always be worthy of the faith you have placed in me._

_Please know that I love Bruce with all of my heart and my soul and I vow to you that I will spend every day of the rest of my life doing my best to make him proud that I am his wife_

_Jordan_

Finishing the note, Alfred tucked into the inside pocket of his tuxedo before taking the handkerchief from the front pocket and discretely dabbing at his eyes.

"I suppose it's a good thing I'm not wearing any make-up today," he said dryly, then grew serious. "I should be thanking you, Miss Jordan, for bringing joy back into this house. I have never seen Master Bruce as happy as he has been since you entered his life and I knew shortly after meeting you that you were someone he could love as deeply as his father loved his mother." He paused long enough to take her hands in his before finishing. "It is a privilege to welcome you into our family."

"May I borrow your hankie?" Jordan asked lightly, freeing one hand to dab at her own eyes.

Just then the house began to echo with the music that signaled the start of the ceremony and Alfred extended his arm.

"Shall we, Miss Jordan?"

"Lead on, good sir."

Jordan linked her arm through his and exiting the guest bedroom, started toward the backyard. Lois met them just inside the doors and exchanged a smile with Jordan before starting down the makeshift aisle. A moment later the bridal march began and Alfred slowly escorted Jordan down the aisle. Bruce felt his heart skip a beat when he saw her and his heart swelled with pride.

_You are without a doubt the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Princess,_

Jordan was indeed an exquisite bride. She wore little make-up and no veil, and other than her engagement ring, the only jewelry she wore was a slim gold chain with a small pendant shaped like the Sun and small faux sunbeams lined with diamonds. It had been a wedding gift from Bruce that morning, delivered by Alfred and according to the note accompanying the box was a symbol of the 'sunlight' she had brought into his life. Her dress was an ice blue off the shoulder silk and satin lace gown with fitted sleeves that was fitted at the waist before spilling down to fall below her ankles.

Sensing Bruce's scrutiny, Jordan shifted her gaze to his. He flashed her a smile of silent approval and affection, which she returned, keeping her eyes locked to his as she slowly walked down the aisle. The symbolism of the gesture was not lost on Bruce - it was clearly a signal to the others present that she was proud to be coming to him. Reaching him at last, she afforded Alfred a brief smile of gratitude before she and Bruce turned their attention to the priest.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and these witnesses to join together in holy matrimony Jordan and Bruce…"

The priest delivered the opening speech and traditional vows with simple solemnity and once finished, turned his attention to the couple in front of him.

"Having exchanged the traditional vows of matrimony, Jordan and Bruce now have a few personal words they wish to share with one another. Jordan... "

Flashing the priest a faint smile, Jordan turned to face Bruce, her smile changing to one of complete adoration as she began to speak.

"Six months ago, I met a handsome stranger who would change my life. From the moment we met you challenged me to look beyond the restrictions of conventionality and go with what my heart told me to do. Every time I lost faith, each time I faltered - you were right there to help me up again. When others would have run away, you stood firm and convinced me to do the same."

Jordan paused a moment as her voice cracked and she lifted a hand to vainly attempt to wipe the tears from her face.

"You are the best thing to have ever touched my life, Bruce; you are my soul mate. I vow to you in front of our family and friends that I will spend the rest of my life trying to bring you as much joy as you've given me. I love you."

Jordan finished her vow and Bruce lifted a hand to gently wipe away her tears and his own before responding.

"Six months ago, I met a beautiful woman whose love for animals was exceeded only by her love for and loyalty to her family. And the first time I looked into your eyes, I knew that my life would never be the same. You have brought me a sense of joy and peace I never thought possible, and every day I thank whatever deities might be listening for bringing you to me. You are the love of my life and the light of my soul, Jordan, and as long as there is breath in body you will never want for anything. I love you."

Bruce finished his vow and exchanged a loving smile with Jordan, neither of them noticing that there wasn't a dry eye in the room. They continued to stare into each other's eyes as the priest finished the service.

"Inasmuch as Jordan and Bruce have exchanged both vows and rings to symbolize their union, and have declared their intentions in front of these witnesses, it is my honor to pronounce them husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Triumph and joy passed across Bruce's face as he turned to Jordan. "With pleasure."

Pulling Jordan to him, Bruce lowered his head to give her a passionate kiss as the others broke into applause.

**EPILOGUE**

The following article appeared in a special 'Late Edition' of the Daily Planet on March 20, 2007:

**Beware of Flying Swine**

**By Lois Lane**

_Once upon a time I declared in this very column that pigs would fly before Gotham City's Favorite Son Bruce Wayne became a married man. Well, there must be an abundance of airborne farm animals today because the infamous 'Boy Billionaire' has taken a bride._

_In a private ceremony at Wayne Manor for immediate family that was followed by a lavish party for one hundred and fifty select guests, including yours truly, industrialist Bruce Wayne wed conservationist Dr. Jordan Kent, an evolutionary biologist with PEACE Corporation. The darkly handsome groom was impeccably attired in a custom made Giorgio Armani tuxedo, while the stunningly beautiful bride was adorned in an ice blue lace and satin gown, also custom made by Armani._

_The couple met six months ago following the attack on the Metropolis Convention Center and were introduced by Dr. Kent's brother, Clark Kent. Following a semi-public courtship, the two were engaged by Christmas and chose this first day of Spring 2007 to make it official. After the exchange of both traditional and personal vows, the couple kicked off the reception with the traditional first dance and was serenaded by music superstar Michael Buble singing the classic song "You and I". The celebration lasted well into the night, after which the newlyweds departed for a two-week honeymoon in the Seychelles Islands off the coast of South Africa._

_Under normal circumstances I would be the first to admit that I hate to make a mistake. But I am pleased that my new sister-in-law and her even newer husband proved me wrong when it came to his marital status. Congratulations and best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Wayne for a happy, healthy life together full of love and laughter._

_And on a more personal note, Happy One Month Anniversary to my husband: I love you, Clark._

**END**

**A/N: **Jordan and Bruce's story continues in "Restoration".


End file.
